Rebel of my Destiny
by YarningChick
Summary: Haru finds a mysterious manuscript, and vows to finish the story within the pages. But at what cost?
1. Unforseen Circumstances

Extra

The idea for this story was generously provided by Rebel of my Destiny, and named after her because I couldn't think of anything more suitable. To be honest, I had my reservations about this story when I started writing it, but now I see it as one of my better works of art.

This story had _better_ please her, because it took me almost two months to write it!

ooOoo

Chapter One: Unforeseen Circumstances

In a dusty old room, an older man with silvery hair was writing on a sheet of paper, occasionally taking a break in order to refill his pen with ink.

"… _and the daring knight raised his blade to the heavens, proclaiming, 'Thus shall ye be vanquished, and my love's kingdom restored unto her.'" _

The young woman at his side started giggling.

"Rowan can be so melodramatic, when he has an audience."

"When he **knows **that he has an audience," the man corrected, still writing at a furious pace. "Are you sure you want to stay? I'm afraid your presence is kind of required at this part of the story."

The raven-haired beauty nodded and stood up.

"Um, Hatachi? Will… I still be able to visit you, after you're done writing my story?"

That question made the old man stop cold and look up at her.

"I have no idea, Rosemary." He set the pen down and stood up in order to hug the young woman affectionately. "I've been dreaming of writing this story for years, and then when we met the first time… I've been so happy to have a companion that I never bothered to think about what would happen when the story reaches its end. If we can see each other again, please visit me as often as you can. And if not…" he broke off in a sob.

"Please, my dear Rosemary; keep me in your heart. Think kindly of me."

She smiled up at him and gripped the man tighter.

"How could I think anything but? You know for a fact that you're the closest thing I'll ever have to a father figure. If our cultures weren't so different, I'd promise to name my first child with Rowan after you."

The old man laughed a little, kissing her brow.

"Well, it's the thought that counts. My best wishes, dear Rosemary."

The young woman smiled up at him and kissed his cheek softly.

"Thank you, Hatachi. For writing my story and for bringing me to life." She stepped away from him and closer to the slightly crude manuscript that had consumed the old man for so long. Smiling sadly, Rosemary waved goodbye as her body slowly became sparks of golden lights and began trailing inside the unassuming manuscript.

The old man watched the lights sadly, hoping that he would see his surrogate daughter again, despite the chances that he would not. He sighed, and pulled his chair up to the end of the manuscript. He reached over for his pen and slowly picked it up.

This was one part of the peculiar story that he didn't like writing about; the only one he had no intention of publishing. It was so hard to get back into writing once he broke free from the self-imposed spell, which cast his heart and soul far from his home and into a completely different place that until the past few years, only existed in his heart.

Now in the correct mood, the old writer happily set his pen to the crisp paper once more.

"_And with one final blow-_"

The writer was suddenly cut off, as a shadow appeared from between the lines to form a terrible clawed hand. Without warning, the hand shot into the man's chest, making him cry out with pain.

"Now, now," an evil hiss chuckled as it echoed through the room. "I'm not going down so easily, old man. But you are."

With a final heave, the hand tore a light from the writer's chest, which solidified into a solid crystal of the purest quality. The white-haired man gave a final gasp of pain as he fell from his chair to the floor, holding his chest in a fetal position as he slowly and painfully died.

"There. Now Malgea is mine to control, instead of yours. That knight will have an unpleasant surprise indeed." The hand withdrew into the book, taking the sparkling crystal with it.

The crystal which was the writer's heart.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Haru calmly stood out in the hallway, not really worried about why she had been called there. In fact, she made it a point not to freak out over little things anymore. Whatever Takima-sensei had to tell her, the brunette was certain that she could handle it with grace.

But for now, she was working in her special 'theme' sketchbook from her drawing class to pass the time. Like there was nothing more important, she focused on getting the eyes on the cat just the right shape. Yes, just a little more pointed on the ends…

If anyone looked at her sketches, the cat that occupied every page of her sketchbook appeared to be gray with white underlining, since the art teacher had specifically said no colors, but the high school girl was content with remembering the shining orange and deep piercing green-

"Miss Yoshioka?"

Startled from her private reflections, Haru closed her sketchbook while smiling at the teacher, who had always been on the formal side. Truthfully, she didn't have to sketch anything else since the art teacher had already given her an 'A' for her drawings of Baron, but the brunette still enjoyed sketching him for her personal pleasure. Now no one could question why she had included herself dancing with the half-cat.

"My turn?" she asked the drama teacher. The woman nodded and gestured for the girl to step into the office as Hiromi stepped out, grinning as usual.

"Good luck."

Haru nodded before following the instructor into the cozy office and taking the offered seat.

'_So strange, that I still expect a cup of tea with seating proposals.'_

The middle-aged woman sat at her desk and pulled a file from the stack.

"Well Haru; this isn't going to be as painful for you as I was thinking." She opened the file and started sifting through the papers. "You've been showing remarkable progress with your tardiness habit and your grades have just sky-rocketed! I told you all you needed was some motivation."

Haru smiled politely.

"Thank you, ma'am. So, there won't be a problem with me graduating with everyone else?"

The woman grinned, and handed her a single sheet of paper.

"Only if you don't have a problem with participating in this."

Haru took the paper, and looked at it. Her eyes widened with shock.

"The school play's doing Beauty and the Beast this year?!"

"That's right. In order to graduate with everyone else, you'll have to participate in whatever role you're called to do by me." The woman started shaking her head, laughing softly. "With how strange you've been acting these past few months, I'm tempted to cast you as Belle."

Haru raised one hand reassuringly while getting out of her seat.

"Except then you wouldn't get anyone to agree being Beast, no matter the benefits. Remember, the dance scene?"

Takima-sensei blinked, and started laughing.

"Oh my! Thanks for catching that, my dear. Well, I expect to see you on Monday for the tryouts."

The slim brunette saluted smartly while exiting the room.

"I'll start my background research immediately. Maybe I can help make the costumes or something."

The woman laughed as the door shut behind the teenager.

"We'll see, my dear."


	2. A Faceless Voice

Extra

Chapter Two: A Faceless Voice

Hiromi jumped her friend as the dark brunette exited the office.

"Well?!"

Haru grinned and hugged the redhead.

"The only thing that stands between me and graduation is the school play. And it's Beauty and the Beast."

Hiromi started laughing.

"Oh no! Don't make the fantasy nut help with a fairy tale play! You're as good as out of here!"

Haru glowed at her friend's confidence as they walked down the halls and out of the building.

"I can't wait to see how it's going to go! Do you think they'll try to do the Beaumont version or the Disney one?"

"Uh, no clue on the Beaumont, but I'm guessing Disney, just for all the songs."

Haru sighed sadly.

"The Beaumont one had a lot more family conflict in it. The two jealous sisters made great antagonists."

"What's an antagonist?" Hiromi asked, stepping across the gateway.

"Haru! What a coincidence!" A tall dark teenager stepped from behind one of the pillars, smiling a little smugly. The brunette groaned with displeasure.

"Example number one. Hey, Machida."

The raven-haired youth walked up to the two girls, smiling warmly at the speaker.

"What's this about antagonists?"

Hiromi pointed at her friend.

"Haru here needs to help out with the school play in order to graduate, and the production is Beauty and the Beast."

Machida's eyes lit up with an inner fire.

"You don't say! Well, I think _I'll _sign up for the play too." He swung one arm around the brunette confidently. "Just picture it Haru. With you as Belle and me as Beast, we will dominate the play!"

Haru smiled a little stiffly and pinched his arm to make the young man release her.

"Only if Takima-sensei says we get those parts. But don't get your hopes up about the acting turning into reality."

The dark youth was already off in dreamland.

"I bet there's a kiss scene too, after I change into a prince!"

The brunette started gagging, making her lighter friend laugh.

"If there is, there's no freaking way that I'm going to cooperate!" She started running from the guy while he was still lost in la-la land.

'_He'll never change into a prince with that attitude. Besides, they'll need someone that can dance to be Belle. Although, there's the possibility that she'll be named Beauty for the sake of the story. I hope Hiromi will forgive me for running out on her like that.'_

Haru sighed tiredly, but then remembered about her wish to read up on the fairy tale. She giggled a little while rounding a corner, remembering that she had already read all the books on the subject that the library had to offer her.

It had been a favorite of hers since childhood.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

As soon as the brunette opened the familiar front door, her heartbeat began to steady as the scent of treated paper filled the room. When the young schoolgirl passed the front desk, the librarian looked up from her daily chore of checking books back into the library system. The silver-haired woman laughed good-naturedly.

"I was starting to worry about you, Haru-chan. You haven't come by in almost a week."

The slim girl laughed and waved warmly at the woman.

"Sorry about that, Yamani-san. This trip's for school."

"I see. Do you need any help?"

"Nah. I could probably find everything I need wearing a blindfold."

"I know. I can't wait until you join our ranks, Librarian-to-be."

Haru bowed one more time before happily losing herself in the maze of bookshelves. Her first stop was the myth and fairy tale section, where she had to restrain herself harshly from taking the entire shelf.

'_Remember, you'll need to carry everything you choose home.' _ This silent reminder helped keep the 'fairy tale urge' down to two books before moving to the history section, and picking out a few Renaissance books, so she would have an idea about the proper scenery and costumes that the play would be using. One book on the theatre completed her list, making the girl smile a bit.

'_Oh yeah. I almost forgot.' _The schoolgirl ran over to the cookbook section and picked out a cake book she hadn't tried yet.

Ever since her adventure to the Cat Kingdom, Muta had been visiting her once a week, with Toto and Baron sometimes following him. It was fairly easy to keep the secret from her mother, who was gone on quilting conventions more and more often.

Her heart started trembling again, thinking about the feline Creation.

'_Why am I still crushing on him? It's not like we could ever have a future together. He only likes me as a friend anyway, remember?' _Haru sighed sadly and turned in order to work her way back to the front desk.

"_**Wait. Come back, please…"**_

The schoolgirl turned quickly, wondering who had been whispering to her. Her heart began pounding again, faster and faster with fear.

'_Oh no, here we go again. Dang it, why can't I just peruse the books in peace?!' _Her well-known temper began to boil over.

Enough was enough. Someone's been teasing her for far too long.

"Look, I don't know who keeps trying to talk to me when I'm here, but I'm sick and tired of someone calling out for me and then not answering me back. Either speak up or be silent."

A small pause followed her words.

"_**At last, you are ready to find me. See the daisy painting on your left?"**_

Haru looked over, finding a charming picture.

"Yes."

"_**Good. Take it off the hook."**_

Shrugging, the schoolgirl set aside her books on a chair and carefully did as the voice suggested. The wooden frame groaned slightly between her slim hands as she eased the painting next to the wall. Looking up at the bare space, her eyes widened.

The wallpaper that had been hiding behind the painting was several shades paler than what had been exposed to the light. But what was capturing the brunette's attention was the key dangling from a thin thread from the nail. Feeling like she was stepping on thin ice, she unhooked the old-fashioned key from its place before setting the portrait back in its spot.

"This key is what you wanted me to find, isn't it?"

"_**That's right. Now see the vase on your right?"**_

Haru did, and started walking toward it.

"_**Good girl. Now come to the lamp just beyond it."**_

"Is this a wild goose chase?" Haru asked, getting annoyed while walking towards the lamp.

"_**Not at all, fair lady. Okay, sit in the chair next to the lamp."**_

Feeling a little silly, Haru did so.

"I'm still a bit confused here. Just who's speaking to me?"

"_**Patience, please. You will know me soon enough. Now, look at your extreme left. Do you see anything unusual?"**_

Haru looked over. Nope, just regular architecture. Wait…

The lovely brunette got out of the chair and walked towards the peculiar framework which was composed of painted locks. 'Lock and key' locks.

"Ah hah," Haru said softly, running her finger over the locks until she found a real one. "This is quite clever, whoever did this."

"_**Oh yes, he was quite a genius. Now put the key in the lock."**_

Haru's insides froze over, remembering the last time she had done something without fully understanding the consequences.

"I'm ending the charade right now. Who are you and why should I trust you enough to use the key?"


	3. The Forgotten Room

Extra

Chapter Three: The Forgotten Room

"_**Oh drat. I was hoping you'd go a little farther before asking that question. Okay, it's because I need your help."**_

"With what?" Haru asked curiously.

"_**It's a little complicated. But suffice it to say, you're the only one that can help me and countless others. You're the only one to have heard my voice, in all the years I have been calling. I swear on my honor that not only will you have nothing to fear from me, I will do everything in my power to protect you from the one that **__will__** want to harm you."**_

'_If only I could tell if it was a boy or a girl talking.' _The schoolgirl sighed, and raised the key to the lock. "I'm going to hate myself for this in the morning."

"_**Not at all. I fully intend to reward you with your heart's desire if you're successful."**_

As the brunette turned the key, a piece of the wall fell open to reveal a secret tunnel. Before she could stop herself, Haru slipped into the hole and pushed it closed behind her.

The corridor was thick with dust, making the girl cough and raise a hand to her mouth.

"If you _can_ give me my heart's desire, I'll be more impressed than anything. It's a pretty complicated thing."

"_**If it's complicated, perhaps you **__will__** be able to understand my situation. It's all about a boy, isn't it?"**_

Haru blushed, and felt around herself for a flashlight, since the corridor didn't have any windows.

"Yes. But, not really."

"_**Mm, hmm. I can't wait to hear all about it."**_

Haru found a small flashlight (thankfully strapped to her house keys) and turned it on. Pointing it down the hallway, she kept walking until eventually reaching some dusty stairs. Feeling a little anxious about their solidity, she started up the steps, flinching each time they groaned at her.

Finally, she was in front of a door. Feeling a little strange, she raised her fist and pounded on the old and worn wood.

"Hello? Are you still there?"

For once, the strange voice was silent. Since no one answered her, Haru turned the worn knob, and opened the door.

She gasped, holding both hands to her mouth.

"Oh my gosh," she whispered in horror.

A skeleton was lying on the floor next to the desk, a pen in its bony fingers. Since there wasn't anyone to see her do it, Haru pulled her shirt up enough to cover her mouth and nose, since the stench was overwhelming. But for some reason, she couldn't stop looking at the skeleton.

Judging from the rags that were still draped across the skeleton, it was a man, and an old one at that.

"I have to tell someone about this," she whispered, turning to leave.

But then a gust of wind came from nowhere and threw her into the room. As the brunette fell on the ground, the door slammed shut, and she could hear something fall against the door, in order to keep her in.

Panic setting in, she leapt to her feet and started pounding on the door.

"Let me out!" she cried desperately.

"I'm afraid I can't. At least not yet."

Recognizing the strange voice, the brunette wheeled around in fright.

A young woman, perhaps twenty-three years of age, was sitting on the chair that was set against the desk. She was dressed in black from head to foot, in a strange medieval dress with a tight corset bodice. Her hair was also black as ebony, as were her huge eyes. Her skin seemed to be as pale as moonlight, like the only color that had ever graced her was the soft pink on her lips.

'_What's a goth girl doing here?' _Haru flattened herself against the door, knowing that no one else had been in the room when she came in.

"Who are you?" she whispered fearfully. The raven-haired beauty smiled sadly, and got out of her seat to curtsy like a real lady.

"I am addressed many ways, but I would prefer for you to call me Rosemary. I apologize. I haven't caught your name in the twelve years you've been coming to this building."

"I-it's Haru," the schoolgirl stammered. The young lady held one hand to her chin.

"Haru. Hmm, this culture has such strange names. But I suppose ours would seem strange to you." She looked up at the still-terrified brunette and laughed softly. "I swore on my honor not to harm you, Haru, and I always hold true to my promises."

The brunette looked over at the skeleton again.

"But… that…"

Rosemary looked at the skeleton, and deep anguish filled her eyes.

"He was the owner of this building, before it became a public library. He always had a deep love for books, and wrote in his will that his home would become a refuge for fellow book-lovers at his death. Three years after he died, that wish was fulfilled. It would have happened sooner, but I wasn't about to let someone come and disturb his eternal rest, after everything he had gone through. And I truly can't wander far from him, or this room."

Haru looked up at the young woman again, realizing how long the library had been working.

"Are you a ghost?"

Rosemary laughed, and walked towards the brunette. As if she were handling glass, the woman touched Haru's short hair and tapped her cheek softly.

"Do I feel like a ghost?"

Haru blinked, and reached out to touch the glossy black locks. It was like long strands of silk.

"I guess not. But, what are you then?"

Rosemary laughed a little, and pulled the brunette closer to the desk, pointedly stepping around the brittle bones. Just when Haru thought the raven-haired girl would ease her into the chair, the young woman stopped, and started fishing around in an unseen pocket of her silky black skirt.

"I nearly forgot. We don't want a repeat of what happened last time."

"What happened last time?" Haru asked as Rosemary clipped a beautiful piece of emerald around the brunette's neck, cut like a small faceted leaf.

"I was unaware that Brimstone knew the truth about our world, and didn't give Hatachi the protection that would have saved his life." She looked down at the skeleton and swallowed hard. "It was a hard lesson, but one learned well."

Haru looked at her with confusion, but then sat down at the desk and stared at a thick stack of papers that were hand-sewn together like a book.

"Who's Brimstone?" she asked while sneaking a peek at the front of the manuscript. _'Rebel of my Destiny?'_

"He's a very powerful sorcerer. He was supposed to be defeated by my-" she broke off in a sob, making Haru wheel around in her chair. She gripped the pale girl's hand.

"By your…"

A few tears squeezed by Rosemary's guard.

"By… my beloved. Rowan. It was his destiny to defeat Brimstone. Hatachi told me so. We were supposed to live happily ever after, after Brimstone was destroyed."

Haru's eyes widened, and she looked down at the last page that had been written in.

_So the daring knight raised his blade to vanquish the dreaded wizard. And with one final blow_

On 'blow' the end of the 'w' was dragged off the page, like a reckless child had pulled on the arm that was trying to write. Or…

Haru looked down at the skeleton.

Or like he had died while trying to write.

"Oh my gosh," Haru whispered, getting out of the chair and staring at her companion again. "Oh my gosh."

Rosemary brushed her tears away with a finger, and smiled sorrowfully.

"Have you figured out what I am yet?"

Haru nodded, although hardly daring to believe it.

"A Book Creation! Oh my gosh! I thought Creations could only be born from statues or dolls!"

'_Wait 'till Baron hears about this!'_


	4. The Creation Refuge

Extra

Chapter Four: The Creation Refuge

Rosemary's jaw dropped.

"Wait… you know what Creations are?"

Haru nodded while circling the girl, inspecting her from all angles.

"An object that was given a soul because its creator poured his or her heart into it." Done circling the girl, the brunette carefully picked up the manuscript and started thumbing through it. "Granted, you're the first female Creation I've met, but meeting three within a lifetime isn't so bad."

Rosemary stared at the human girl, completely speechless.

"Who are the other two?"

"A crow gargoyle named Toto, and a cat doll named Baron Humbert von Gikkingen."

The raven-haired beauty whistled.

"What a mouthful."

Haru quelled the seed of anger, knowing that Rosemary meant no ill-will.

"I know. He answers to Baron, usually." Haru's eyes finally rested on the last page that had been written in. "It looks like Hatachi wasn't able to finish your story. How can you be walking around with an incomplete ending?"

Rosemary coughed a little.

"I started visiting Hatachi when he was writing the third chapter, when I met my beloved Rowan." She sighed at the memories. "I was so surprised, finding out that my world only existed because of a lonely old man. But he was a good one, and he enjoyed my company immensely. I loved him as a father, I truly did." Whipping her hand around, a lacy handkerchief appeared so that she could dry her eyes into it. She took a few steadying breaths as Haru eased her into the only seat in the room.

"As you can read from the last line, Hatachi wasn't able to write of Rowan's defeat of Brimstone. That accursed wizard tore our Creator's heart out of his chest, and left him to die. He still carries it, since the one who holds it controls the fate of my kingdom."

Haru cocked her head.

"_Your _kingdom?"

"Yes. Did I neglect to mention that I am a witch princess?"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

At the Crossroads, a ridiculously fat white cat yawned lazily.

'_No one again. Not even Chicky.' _A little disgruntled, the cat curled up on its chair again, trying to return to his catnap. The day wasn't quite over; he could afford to stay a little longer.

Suddenly, someone started scratching his ear. The fat feline began purring, recognizing whose touch it was.

"Hey, Chicky. This is a surprise."

The schoolgirl leaned in close to the chair while scratching his ear.

"I know. It's a bigger one for me. Can you take me back to the Refuge, Muta-san?"

He lazily opened one eye to look at her, an evil grin taking over.

"What? Feeling lonely for Baron again?"

The brunette blushed deeply.

"No, nothing like that. I think I found a new client for the Bureau."

The white cat got onto his paws and stretched leisurely while looking around.

"Oh, and where is he?"

"She," Haru corrected, looking around. No, there were people here. "Look, I can't show you here, but I can at the Refuge. Come on, I'll make you a whole cake if you'll do it."

The glutton started salivating.

"Angel food cake?"

"With whipped cream, if you want."

He started purring and hopped off his chair.

"And it's Moon versus Yoshioka, Round Two!"

Haru giggled and started running after him.

She hadn't told Muta this, but she had been exercising more since her adventure at the Cat Kingdom. The fat cat was quite surprised that he couldn't manage to get more than ten feet away from the girl at any given moment, when she had been a block behind him at times during her first run with him.

Haru gasped a little, resting in the small alley that led to the Creation Refuge.

"_**Should you really be promising him whole cakes, Haru? I thought he was a big fluffy cushion when you approached him."**_

The brunette giggled.

"Same here the first time I met him, but I have a healthy recipe."

Muta turned around, now standing on his hind paws.

"A healthy recipe for what, Chicky?"

She turned a little pink.

"Um, never mind. Just thinking out loud."

He eyed her suspiciously, but walked into the Refuge to look into the little mailbox. He pulled out a tiny newspaper and looked inside the box again, looking for something else. A little disappointed, he shut the metal contraption and slunk down in the lawn chair to start perusing.

"So where's the client, Chicky?"

"_**Do you usually let him call you that? It's most disrespectful."**_

Haru burst out laughing.

"Believe me, getting called a babe by a Cat King was worse."

Muta looked up at her.

"Um, just wondering, but did you happen to hit your head today?"

"No, but I came close. _Rosemary, did you want to come out first or wait for Baron?_" she whispered.

"_**I think I'll wait for the lord."**_

"She'll be coming soon enough."

Muta growled, folding his newspaper up and glowering at the window behind him.

"Just come out, Baron. Maybe Haru will tell _you _what's up."

The brunette's eyes flicked to the doll through the window, making her heart skip a beat. Although she was still close to the opening of the Refuge, the schoolgirl could still see the glow of his eyes.

A bit of light began to tug at the edges of her eyes and then erupted into a river of brightness that flooded the Refuge before centering on Baron's home.

"_**Not too shabby,"**_Rosemary approved. Haru giggled her agreement as Muta hit against the glass with his fist.

"Knock it off with the lights, already! Come out now!"

The light faded, although it lingered a bit on the one window that the fat cat was standing next to, perhaps to mock him. Muta grumbled as the inner lights of the residence turned on, and the double doors opened to reveal a figure that the human knew well.

Baron Humbert von Gikkingen was just as dashing as ever, walking up to the girl and holding his top hat to his heart as usual. He smiled warmly up at her.

"Good evening, Haru."

She bowed respectfully, silencing her wild heartbeat.

"Good evening, Baron. How have you been?"

He chuckled a little while returning his hat to its perch.

"Oh, fair. And yourself?"

Haru was about to answer, but then realized that she didn't have one that would convey her feelings.

"Okay, but I met someone today that's kind of in deep trouble."

His eyes sparked worriedly.

"And where is this friend?"

The schoolgirl opened up her book bag, and took out the worn manuscript.

"Rosemary… if you can hear me, we're at the Refuge."

The book immediately started to glow and a willowy figure rose from the pages in order to stand next to the brunette. As the light faded, the raven-haired beauty curtsied charmingly for the Cat Lord.

"A pleasure to meet you, Baron. I didn't expect to ever meet other Creations."


	5. The Cat Bureau

Extra

Chapter Five: The Cat Bureau

Haru had never seen Baron lose his composure before, and it quite startled her to see the absolute shock on the Cat Creation's features. Muta fell off of his chair in surprise, since he was all but certain that Haru just wanted an excuse to see Baron. Rosemary smiled prettily again and looked up at the pedestal's occupant.

"And that would be Toto, correct?"

The statue obligingly shimmered with blue light and became flesh. He readjusted his footing while staring at the only female Creation to actually make it to the Refuge in three hundred years.

"Haru, where did you find her?"

The brunette held the manuscript a little tighter to her chest.

"Actually, she found me years ago. I just decided to answer her today."

Rosemary gravely nodded while kneeling, to be at a closer eye-level with the cat doll.

"Miss Haru said that you had a Bureau, for those with difficult problems."

Baron got over his shock, and nodded.

"That would be correct, Miss. Pray, what troubles you?"

The raven-haired girl sighed.

"To sum things up, my creator died before he finished writing my story fifty years ago of this world's time, and because of that, my world has dissolved into chaos and is under the complete control of a madman that has unfathomable powers."

The tawny cat blinked.

"My, that _is _quite a predicament." He looked over at his home. "Usually, I would offer for you to come in for a cup of tea, but…"

His home, although elegant, could hardly contain one human girl, let alone two. And he couldn't just leave Haru out in the cold, no matter the reason.

Rosemary smiled, and stood up to her full height.

"If size is the problem, that's easily fixed." She placed one hand on the brunette's shoulder and squinted with concentration. Haru's insides seemed to dissolve into sparks of magic, and the world slowly became bigger and bigger.

Suddenly, she was at her old cat height. Rosemary smiled a little while releasing Haru.

"Being a witch has its advantages."

Baron nodded numbly, although he was looking at a to-scale Haru. It was one thing to see her as a towering human and another for her to be a slowly morphing cat closer to his height. But, seeing her in her true form as a human, at this height…

He coughed once, to help him focus on the task at hand, and gestured for the girls to follow him into his home. Muta and Toto beat them in, and took their customary places on the couch and banister. Baron set his hat, cane and coat on the rack before turning to the girls, who were making themselves comfortable on separate high-back chairs.

Rosemary was noting the simple elegance that the lord had taken with his home, while Haru looked at the chest that she had sat on the first time.

'_It's so big, now. Dang it, I wish I had been at this height on my first visit here.'_

"Lemon or milk with your tea, Miss Rosemary?"

"Lemon, please."

"Milk for you, Haru?" the tawny cat asked softly, sneaking a glance at the brunette, who nodded. He turned in order to fix the teacups as requested.

The few times he followed Muta to Haru's home, she prepared the Cat Creation tea with one of her old doll's teacups, sometimes expressing gratitude that she didn't throw it out after all. He'd have visited her more often, but...

'_Don't think of that now. A client is in great need of your services.'_

Muta sprawled back in his couch leisurely as the doll handed out the cups of tea.

"I still don't understand this fascination with boiled grass."

"Of course you don't. It requires a refined tongue to appreciate it."

"Says the one that eats worms!"

"That's enough, you two." Baron, now left without a place to sit, settled for leaning against the table he prepared the tea on while sipping from his own cup. "Now then, how can we be of assistance, Miss Rosemary?"

The raven-haired witch, although enjoying her tea, had been looking skeptically at the fatter cat and crow.

"Are you sure they could help me, Haru? They don't seem to be unified at all."

The brunette nodded firmly.

"Trust me, they're great. They can help you, if you give them a chance."

Baron had to resist the purr that was threatening to rise from his throat, hearing the sweet praise. Rosemary sighed, apparently placing her complete trust in the schoolgirl's judgment.

"To be honest, I was only going to ask for Haru's help at first, but hearing about your Bureau made me wonder, good Baron. Would you and your agents consider accompanying me to my world, and helping us to defeat Brimstone?"

Baron blinked, a little stunned.

"Can outsiders enter the manuscript?"

"If you're all with me, I don't think there will be a problem, especially with Haru's assistance."

The brunette nearly choked on her sip of tea.

"Um, how could _I_ help?"

Rosemary took a sip before answering.

"You were the only one to hear me calling out, in the fifty-seven years I've been trying to reach someone. Think about it, Haru. An old man with a deep love for books writes a very special story, but dies before he can finish it. A young girl with an equally deep love for books comes along, and finds the unfinished story. What do you _think _I want you to do?"

Haru's mouth fell open a bit, and she snuck a look down at her schoolbag, which contained the fragile manuscript.

"You want me to finish writing the story?" she squeaked. Rosemary nodded, her dark eyes alight with an inner fire.

"I'm not the only one asking you to do this, Haru. My people have been suffering terribly, ever since Brimstone tore out Hatachi's heart and fixed it on his staff. He grows stronger every day, and the only way to defeat him will be for someone who has the same spiritual warmth as our creator to finish the story. Please, Haru… my world is in your hands. Literally," she added as the brunette pulled the manuscript out of the bag in order to look at it. It was old and worn, but still in pretty good shape. More than likely thanks to Rosemary's intervention.

'_Rebel of my Destiny. How appropriate.' _Haru sighed, and opened the manuscript to the first page.

"I better read what's been written before trying anything else." She wasn't even sure if she _could _keep up the same quality as the first writer, but she couldn't exactly say no to possibly thousands of helpless people.

The witch princess breathed a huge sigh of relief as another Creation had to once again fight his urge to purr.

'_Nice to know that some things will never change about Haru.' _"What will your mother think, with you being gone for so long?" Baron had to ask, before his thoughts tried to go down the forbidden alley again. The human maiden looked up from the page to smile at him, although there was a trace of sadness in the action.

"Nothing. She left on another convention yesterday, and won't be back until next week." Such was becoming more and more often.

If it weren't for the Cat Bureau, the brunette would have given herself up to loneliness a long time ago.


	6. Haru's Task

Extra

Chapter Six: Haru's Task

Tsuge dribbled the basketball with ease, snaking around his opponent in order to sink the ball through the net.

"Yes, another one for me! Come on, Machida! You're making this too easy."

His friend sighed.

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry, I was just thinking about-"

"Haru. When are you _not _thinking about her?"

Machida sighed, and walked over to the bleachers of the outside court for his water bottle.

"Less and less often. I mean, I don't get it. Five months ago, she would have given an arm, just to get me to look at her-"

"The problem's obvious," Tsuge stated, dribbling the ball between his legs like an expert. "When a girl suddenly loses interest in a guy, it's because she's sick of waiting or found someone new."

Machida whirled around.

"But aren't I the closest guy to her in the entire school?"

"Physically, sure, but who says the mystery guy is in our school?" Tsuge countered, dribbling a bit more. "Think back. When did you realize that she lost interest in you?"

Machida thought hard as he toweled himself off.

"Three months ago, when I needed a date for the spring dance and remembered that she liked me. I still can't believe she blew that dance off to do some family thing with her mom."

Tsuge sighed, deciding that they wouldn't be getting much ball time in, with his best friend this much out of sorts.

"I knew about a week after you broke up with Sakura. Remember, Nashima-sensei paired you two up for that science report and she didn't even blink? She's been acting really weird for months, and I think another guy is behind it."

Machida slammed his fist on the bleacher.

"But wouldn't she have mentioned a boyfriend by now?! I've been hitting on her pretty hard."

Tsuge rolled his eyes.

"Considering the fact that you wouldn't look at her when she wanted you, what makes you think that the guy she likes feels the same about her? Maybe it's another one-sided thing."

Machida growled his assent, downing the rest of his water.

"If that's the case, then the play will be the perfect way into her heart. All I have to do is get the part of Beast, and it's a cinch!"

"And if she doesn't get Belle?" Tsuge asked, tossing the ball at him. For once, the brunette caught it, a naughty smile back on his lips.

"Come on, who else could possibly hope to get the part? Haru's always been the loner type with her nose stuck in a book. It's a sure thing that she'll be _my _Beauty."

Tsuge laughed while on the defensive.

"You _are _aware that you're not the only guy in the school crushing on her, right?"

Machida looked at him sharply.

"What, you like her too?!"

The lighter brunette laughed.

"Oh no, I'm satisfied with Hiromi. Just trying to keep you in perspective that there will be competition."

The darker youth scowled.

"I'll show no mercy. If I couldn't take Haru to the spring formal, I'll be taking her to the Prom."

And she would be his queen there as well.

ooOoo

Somewhere around 6:30 the next morning, Haru finally closed the manuscript, her eyes wide and bloodshot. Parts of the book kept running through her mind, almost as turbulent as a winter river.

"_But Mother, I'm too young to rule."_

"_This I swear to you, my love; Brimstone will never take your kingdom."_

"_Take care, I don't know what I'll do, if you never return."_

Haru leaned back in her chair, fighting the tears that streamed down her face. The ending, which was so promising, had been cut off so cruelly.

"Well, Miss Haru?"

The brunette looked over at Rosemary, who had been sitting on her bed. The two had traveled back to Haru's home around midnight, with the Cat Bureau for protection against rogues. Baron had insisted that Haru get some rest before continuing with her chore, but that hadn't stopped the brunette from opening the manuscript again after going up to her room. Satisfied that her mother wasn't around, the Bureau agents were making themselves comfortable on the couch and the back of a chair (Toto had to be careful with his claws for obvious reasons) for the night.

Haru wiped her tears away with one hand angrily before answering her companion.

"Your Hatachi was a certified genius. Brimstone needs to die. Like _now_."

Rosemary laughed.

"As much as I would love that, it wouldn't flow with the rest of the story. Rowan was the one destined to take down the wizard, but-" the princess broke off, her grief renewing itself. Haru set the manuscript aside so she could sit next to the witch and hug her.

"Please, tell me what happened when Rowan took that last lunge."

The dark beauty nodded, clinging to the brunette for comfort.

"Well, he lunged, and then Brimstone dodged. When he pulled out his hand from his cloak, there was a beautiful crystal in his fist, cut in the shape of a heart. He fixed the gem on his staff, and-" she broke off in a sob. Haru held her tighter as her own heart began to frost over from her friend's pain.

"Did he destroy Rowan?" the brunette asked hesitantly. Rosemary nodded, accepting the Kleenex box Haru was offering her.

"His power overwhelmed my beloved, and he dissolved into black ash before my eyes. Then, Brimstone revealed that the crystal was my seer's heart. That's how I referred to Hatachi when people asked where I went when I visit him. Things have been going downhill ever since. You've read about how beautiful my kingdom is."

Haru nodded.

"Well, those days are long gone. Everything's dying; the plant life, the animals, my people… We're driven to and fro like animals by _Shadow_ and his minions," Rosemary spat out bitterly. Haru cocked her head in confusion and reached for the manuscript again.

"Don't bother, Haru. Shadow isn't mentioned in there. He arrived after Hatachi died."

Haru withdrew her hand, strangely grateful that she hadn't missed anything.

"Who is he?"

"Brimstone's top general and right hand man. Whenever a city burns or innocent blood is shed, you can be certain that Shadow had something to do with it."

Haru lay back on the bed, both hands behind her head.

"In order to take down Brimstone, you'll have to weaken his strength. I think Shadow will have to fall before Brimstone does."

Rosemary nodded her head firmly, having suspected as much.

"As far as I've been able to determine, ten of your world's years count for one of mine, so it's been five and a half years since then. You will need to write out what has happened since that time. That is, _if _you choose to write the story," she added hastily. Haru smiled, and nodded.

"I don't know if I'm qualified to finish Hatachi's work, but I will give it my best shot to give your people the happy ending that they deserve."

Rosemary smiled warmly at the girl before opening her mouth to thank her.

But, before the words of gratitude could pass through the princess's throat, someone outside Haru's home started playing on the guitar. Both girls looked toward the window, but only Rosemary walked toward it to see who was out there. As the raven-haired woman opened the curtain, Haru groaned and buried her head underneath her pillow, since she was more than certain of just who the musician was.

'_Oh please, not now! __**Baron's**__ downstairs!'_

Outside, Machida started singing.


	7. Baron's Cry

Chapter Seven: Baron's Cry

'_Mom says every girl loves a musician. Well, here it goes.' _Machida took a deep breath, and started singing.

"_You've been searching the world to find true love, looking in all the wrong places. When all of the time you have been blind to know it's as plain as the nose on your fair face._"

ooOoo

Muta was instantly awake, hissing terribly on the couch.

"What's with the serenade?!"

Baron stretched from his place on the arm of the couch, a little put out from more than just the ruined rest.

"Must be an admirer of Haru," the Cat Creation said reluctantly.

"_You've been down on yourself, thinking something is wrong. You have wondered why love has never found you."_

A little curious, Baron hopped off of the couch in order to land on the table in front of the window. As discreetly as possible, he peeled a corner of the curtain away to peek at the musician.

It was a young man, more than likely close to Haru's age. He was dark haired, and, to women at least, possibly handsome. The boy was dressed in tight black pants and a loose tunic-style shirt that opened at the throat so that passers-by could see his muscled chest. He was sitting on the stone wall in front of the house, with a guitar across his lap as he strummed the strings. The dark youth's eyes were locked on a room above and to the left of the one Baron was peeking through, possibly Haru's room.

"_Love has been right by your side, so close that you couldn't see. If love could speak, it would shout to the sky 'I've always been here, I always will be'!"_

Baron dropped the curtain firmly and turned away from the window.

'_I shouldn't be surprised. Haru's a fetching young girl that's fun to be around. Of course men would be attracted to her. Perhaps this gentleman is her boyfriend.' _He silenced the way his heart howled, having known that this day would come eventually. Although his crush on her-

Baron shook his head angrily. _Her _crush on _him_!! He was certain that _she _would get over her crush on _him_! So, why did his heart ache like this, if he knew it would happen eventually?

It's not like _he _could ever court her. She _should_ be with someone like the fellow outside, who _could_ share a future with her.

"_Open your eyes to love, open your heart to-"_

The singing left off to something that sounded like a quack. Baron's ears perked up, and he turned around in order to peek again. Muta seemed to appear from behind him and just tore the curtain aside, making the Creation press himself to the side, hoping that no one was looking at this particular window.

The young man outside had dropped his guitar and was holding both hands to his throat, his panic increasing with every second as even the quack faded away.

Muta jumped away from the window to start rolling on the floor, laughing his head off. Toto started chuckling from his perch, having a completely good view of the boy as he started pacing the yard and popping cough drops.

"Looks like Romeo there is going to have to take ten."

Baron bit back a laugh of his own, watching the boy run out of the yard, barely remembering to take his guitar. Up the stairs, two girls could be heard clearly laughing.

ooOoo

Haru was in much brighter spirits when she came down the stairs with Rosemary for breakfast, although she was tired from staying up the entire night. Baron was sitting next to the curtained window, Toto was still on the chair, and Muta was wiping away the tears of mirth from his face.

"Did _you_ do that to Romeo?"

Rosemary cocked her head, then looked at Haru.

"I thought his name was Machida."

"It is. Muta's making fun of him."

"Ah. Yes, I disabled his voice for a month. His vocal abilities were distressing Haru."

Baron cocked his head as the lovely brunette headed to the kitchen to make breakfast.

"So you _didn't_ want his attention?"

Haru shook her head while getting out some bread for toast.

"Of course not. The only reason he's stalking me is because I don't want him to. I think it's more about his ego than me, anyway. No girl before me had ever resisted him for months, and it's driving him crazy."

Baron chuckled warmly, strangely relieved beyond words, but then took notice of her red eyes, and how slow her movements were.

"Haru, did you stay up all night reading Rosemary's story?"

She stiffened guiltily, answering his question in full. He shook his head, having suspected it since last night.

"With all due respect, Miss Haru, I think it would be best if you rested for a few hours before doing anything that involves sharp or hot implements."

'_Does that include you?' _Haru didn't dare say that out loud, but smiled. "Is that an order?"

"No, that is a polite request." He knew she never paid attention to orders. The brunette sighed and started walking up the stairs, shoulders down in defeat.

"All right. It was still worth it, though."

Baron chuckled as Muta started a coughing fit. One of the coughs sounded suspiciously like 'whipped'.

ooOoo

Haru yawned while slipping between the covers of her bed, a dark sheet over the window so that her room was darkened.

'_If I had known Rosemary could give Machida laryngitis for extended periods of time, I would have answered her sooner.' _She sighed happily, knowing that by the time Machida got his voice back, it would be good and decided who got the leads in the play. _'I'll have to remember to ask Takima-sensei for the smallest part available, so I'll have more time to finish 'Rebel of my Destiny' as soon as possible. Despite what everyone says about me and Belle, I've never been the best actress.' _

The brunette yawned one more time before giving herself up to sweet sleep, partially grateful that Baron had all but ordered her to do so.

Haru dreamed sweetly of _dancing in a ballroom with a certain Creation who never let her outside of his warm embrace. Muta was in a corner with an accordion, looking bored out of his skull while Toto flew over the dancing couple, keeping a spotlight on the two as they danced into eternity. Machida was chained to a wall, his mouth flapping uselessly as he tried to scream in frustration while Rosemary laughed at him, making a bell-like accompaniment to the music. _

_Baron leaned in close to whisper into her ear, his eyes filled with undisguised emotion._

"_I love you, Haru."_

Hey… she could dream, couldn't she?

ooOoo

For the record, the song Machida was singing was 'Open Your Eyes to Love' by LMNT. I was trying to find a sappy love song for him, but that was the best I could do. Hope it got the point across.


	8. Another World

Chapter Eight: Another World

Hours later, Haru cracked her knuckles and grabbed one of the pens in an old mug. Clicking it once, she took a deep breath and lowered the end of her chosen weapon to the last line in the manuscript.

ooOoo

'_And with one final blow, the brave knight brought his weapon forward, intending to slay the evil sorcerer. But alas, the wizard had powers that Rowan had never dreamed of, for Brimstone had traveled the great distance that the good princess did, in order to kill the seer that aided the girl with her efforts to save her kingdom. Without hesitation, Brimstone tore the seer's heart out of his frail chest, and fixed it to his staff, for the one who owned the seer's heart would triumph over the land of Malgea._

_So Rowan was changed into black ash at the hands of the sorcerer, before fulfilling his destiny of killing the dreaded Brimstone and marrying his true love._

_Great was the sorrow of the princess, and great was the suffering of her people, who had long loved the brave knight, and were looking forward to accepting him as their prince. _

_Brimstone slammed his staff to the ground, and proclaimed to all-_

"_Thus have I proven that fate is but not, and is but an illusion. One must write one's own destiny, and I shall hear by write my own fate. I shall rule this land and my enemies shall be driven to and fro like the animals they are. Long live Brimstone the First!"_

_And his command came to pass. His demons now freely flooded into the once-happy land, killing and pillaging all they could find. The proud castle was torn, stone by stone, into pieces, and then reassembled to build Brimstone's palace, which was taller, darker, and completely devoid of all hope._

_Of the royal family, only the crown princess Rosemary was spared, thanks to the love her parents held for her. As the young woman was unwillingly taken from the palace by her loyal guards, she swore on the deaths of everything she had held dear that Brimstone would meet his end. _

_Alone, she guided her people from forest to mountain, always moving to keep away from Brimstone's Shadow, who had previously been unknown. Some say that the man had once been the wizard's own son, slaughtered and brought back to life to do the new king's bidding. Others insist that Shadow was a high-ranking demon, who would be repaid for his services to Brimstone by eating his soul upon his death._

_Shadow was dressed in black from head to foot, for seeing his true form would drive anyone mad enough to kill himself. Over his face was a frightful white mask, made of bone. The king's favorite blade was as silent as his name -both in action and in name- for his steps were light, and his voice unheard. When a demon stated that Shadow was nearly as graceful as a woman, Brimstone ordered the offender to be put to death. Shadow did it without hesitation._

_For Brimstone's will was Shadow's will. Indeed, to see them together, one would think they were but two halves of the same person._

_And for the brave princess? As often as she could, she would send out magical messages to the land of Foresight, trying to find a new seer to help her, although her love for the first one would last well into eternity. She tried for the space of five years and six months for a seer that could aid her cause against Brimstone, for truly, it had been prophesied that a seer was needed to defeat the evil wizard. Although the princess's faith in destiny had been severely shaken, she forever tried to stay one step ahead of Brimstone's men, unceasingly trying to find a way to end the reign of terror, while there was still something to save._

_Finally, she found the one that could help her. _

ooOoo

Haru broke off here, deciding that she needed to speak to the Cat Bureau before including them in the story. Glowing with warmth, Haru let the blanket around her shoulders slip off as she squeezed the manuscript to her chest with one hand, and gripped the pen with the other.

The Creations looked up at her, as she descended the stairway, still a little pale. Baron appeared to be concerned for her, as usual, but she smiled brightly at Rosemary, who smiled back.

"You've been writing."

Haru nodded, and sat next to the witch.

"I got to the part where you found me, but I wanted to hear from the Bureau before going farther." She looked at the three males. "Are all of you going?"

Baron nodded, although Muta grunted.

"No thanks. What good would a cat do in a book?"

Rosemary tsked at him.

"In my world, cats are very important. They bring good luck."

The fatso started purring.

"Then just take Baron."

"I'm not a real cat," the Creation pointed out, aware of the fact that although he looked like a cat, his manners and poise were more akin to a human's. Would he still be doll-sized in Rosemary's world? The witch princess laughed, and looked at the brunette that had just sat down beside her.

"Do you mind if I lift the memory of an angel food cake from your mind?"

"Not really." Haru held still as the witch brought a hand to the brunette's temple, and pulled on the air in front of it. Like a cloth, a flimsy golden cake flowed out of the teenager's mind and solidified into the real thing, complete with whipped cream and strawberries. Rosemary looked at it from all angles, studying it as Muta began to salivate shamelessly.

"Are you certain he would chew off his own foot for one of these, Haru? It doesn't look very appetizing, except for the strawberries."

"It's cat food," Muta said quickly, as his shiny eyes followed the cake as Rosemary experimentally held it from one side to the other, laughing as the cat followed the cake with his eyes, almost falling off the couch in doing so.

"If you help me against Brimstone, and we win, I'll make you a castle from this stuff."

Muta's left hind leg started scratching his belly uncontrollably. He jumped from his place on the couch, and bowed low in submission.

"I will follow you to the end of my days, Highness."

She laughed out loud as the cake in her hands disappeared, since it had only been made of a memory.

"I was only asking until the defeat of Brimstone, but we'll see about afterward."

Baron shook his head in disgust.

"Muta, we don't accept payment, remember?"

"Sure we do. You're satisfied with a 'thank you', and I'm satisfied with a weekly cake made by Haru's loving hands."

'_Loving?!' _The Cat Creation was about to give a speech on taking advantage of innocent women when Haru suddenly looked at him and smiled.

"So you and Toto are going too?"

The tawny cat silenced his other thoughts.

"Of course," he said, looking at Toto for confirmation. The crow nodded and cackled a little evilly.

"You don't have to worry about me. _I _don't need to be bribed."

Haru choked down a giggle as the fat cat wheeled around defensively, his paws held up in defense.

"Come down here and say that, Birdbrain!"

"No!" Haru cut off, frantically gesturing for Toto to not take the bait. "If you guys start fighting in here, I don't want to think about the damage you guys could do that I can't explain to my mom!"

Baron stood up, and locked eyes with Muta.

"Save the fights for Brimstone." He spoke with such a tone of authority that Muta couldn't help but back down, since the Cat Creation rarely asserted such authority. Even Toto, who was eighty-seven years older than his immortal friend, had to back down from that tone. The brunette breathed a sigh of relief, thanking Baron with a glance and a smile, which was returned.

"Whenever you're ready to send us, Haru," he prodded gently. She nodded, and clicked her pen to start writing. Rosemary stopped her.

"Could you say the words aloud while writing? Hatachi used to do that."

Haru quirked an eyebrow, and laughed nervously.

"It'll sound weird out loud."

"Don't worry about that. What's important is the story itself," the dark witch assured her, since she wanted a small idea of what was going to happen. Haru sighed, and started writing again.

ooOoo

"_The princess, once she had obtained the help of a young seeress, also gained the services of the Cat Bureau, who were friends with the female seer. The three Bureau agents followed Princess Rosemary to her kingdom, to help fix the terrible wrongs done to her people._

"_The first one was Toto, an immortal crow carved from stone and brought to life by the love of his maker. The second was a large white cat, mortal by birth. He had two names, but preferred the second one; Muta. The third one was the owner of the Bureau, an immortal like the first, but a feline like the second. His name was Baron Humbert von Gikkingen."_

ooOoo

"Sure, give _Baron_ the big intro," Muta said sarcastically as he and the three Creations began to dissolve into sparks of golden light. She smiled at the fat cat before waving goodbye.

"Good luck," she whispered as Baron's countenance faded. But not before he smiled back at her, his gaze affectionate.

"You too, Haru." His voice was so soft and warm.

With that, the gold sparks dissolved completely, and fled into the book in a glorious waterfall. Haru watched them go in, her heart doing fancy gymnastics in her chest once more.

'_Dang it. Does he __**have **__to keep teasing me like that?' _She sighed, trying to take her mind off her troubles.

For it was no longer about her. It was about Rosemary, and the need to save her kingdom from that wizard that desperately needs to die, as soon as she could figure out a way to conceivably do it.

What would happen when she ran out of paper on the manuscript?


	9. Malgea's Remains

Chapter Nine: Malgea's Remains

When Rosemary was solid once more, she stretched her limbs out and inhaled the fresh air greedily.

'_Home.' _She looked to her left, a little startled to see that Baron was now towering a good five inches over her, but Toto and Muta were at their regular sizes. The tawny feline looked around the tent they were in and nodded gravely.

"It looks like we're here." _'All right, Haru. Let's see what you've got up your sleeve.'_

Rosemary nodded and opened the flap of the tent. Just outside, an elderly guard, who was a bit on the scrawny side and didn't really have the muscle to be of a real help in a fight, was snoring peacefully at his post. The princess coughed a little pointedly, making the guard wake up in mid-snore. His eyes widened at the Cat Creation as he saluted smartly.

"Highness!"

She laughed a little, and patted his shoulder affectionately.

"Please, Yarrow. Now is not the time to be caught unawares."

He nodded, still staring as Rosemary led the Cat Bureau from her tent, and down a small alleyway made by the twin rows of tents, each side bearing twenty structures.

"Is this a group of the survivors?" Baron asked softly, studying the worn and thin figures that peaked out to look at them. The princess sighed sadly.

"These _are _the survivors. We are all that's left of Malgea." She straightened a little, and made to speak, but then stopped herself. _'No, perhaps I should wait a little longer to say we have a seer again.'_

Toto, perched on Baron's shoulder, coughed politely.

"Well? Aren't you going to tell us what we can do against Brimstone?"

The witch princess sighed, and leaned down in the soft earth, pressing one hand against it. The loose soil began to swirl around, until it appeared to make a three-dimensional map on the ground. Where the soil stuck up a few inches, Rosemary pointed.

"This is where we are right now." She took a nearby branch, and planted it firmly on the opposite side of a large flat space at the foot of the wrinkles. "Brimstone's palace is across the Great White Desert. We lost a third of our people crossing it."

Baron looked at the map grimly as Muta sniffed it.

"How long does it take to cross it?"

"By foot, two weeks. By horse or camel, one."

Toto sniffed.

"I bet it'd take me less than three days."

"Well, too bad we can't just _ride _you, can we Bird Brain?!"

"Well, I could take _you. _I bet you could crush every bone of Brimstone's body if I drop you over him."

"Take that back!" the fatso demanded. But then Rosemary slapped her hand over the cat's mouth.

"That's brilliant!" she crowed, looking at the bird. "I could enlarge you to take us to Brimstone's castle! Would you mind?"

"Not terribly," Toto said, looking at the white cat smugly. "_Could _we drop the fatso on the wizard?"

"Afraid not, his body's spelled to withstand such abuse. He was made to be invincible, save for a sword that my beloved ordered to be forged with his own blood. Brimstone took the sword into his keep, and has it under constant watch."

Baron nodded, memorizing the information.

"So our best hope is to get the sword back?"

Rosemary nodded, and bit her lip nervously.

"We'd also have to steal back Hatachi's heart from Brimstone… _and fix it upon the hilt of the sacred sword. Thus can the dark wizard be slain, and order restored to the land_."

Muta looked up, since the princess had never spoken in that lilting singing voice.

"What was _that_?!"

Rosemary blinked, and laughed.

"Looks like Haru's keeping her promise. That's-"

"The seer's voice," an old man whispered, coming close to the princess. His small dark eyes were overflowing with tears of happiness. "Highness, you found a new seer, didn't you?"

The princess nodded, since she was a terrible liar. A great shout of joy was issued to the survivors, who had long hungered for these words.

"A seeress, actually, but it amounts to the same thing. Everyone, this is the Cat Bureau. They are going to accompany me to take back our realm."

This gave rise to an even greater shout, although Baron was painfully aware that some were still staring at him, for his feline appearance.

'_Now that we're in the book, am I still a Creation? Or a very odd half-cat? If I were to stay here, would I still be immortal?'_

Rosemary turned to her companions, beaming.

"How soon will you be ready to leave? Would you like to rest first?"

The tawny lord sighed, knowing that the other two would stand by his decision.

"I believe we would all benefit from a rest before our journey. There is no telling what we could come across, and we will need our wits about us."

She nodded, and whistled twice. A young man came up to her, obviously a younger soldier.

"Yes, Highness?"

"Thyme, would you kindly let the Cat Bureau rest in your tent?"

The soldier nodded, although his eyes were a little anxious. He saluted once more to the princess before beckoning to the three newcomers to follow him. Muta followed without complaint, but Baron held back for a second.

"Rosemary?"

She turned in order to look at him, obviously about to head back to her own tent.

"Yes?"

"Will my companions and I be able to return to our world, after we help you?"

The raven-haired woman bit her lip nervously.

"I don't know, Baron. I had a similar conversation with Hatachi before he died, but he didn't know the answer either. I think it's a fifty-fifty chance." She smiled a little weakly before curtsying and running into her tent.

Muta had to scratch Baron's ankle to remind him to follow the adolescent to his tent, thanking him before entering it. Toto uncertainly landed on the ground, and prepared to change into his stone state.

"We should have probably asked that question before we left, Baron. Haru's going to be really disappointed if we never come back."

The tawny lord nodded, feeling too depressed to notice the evil mirth Muta was struggling to conceal.

"I know. I know." Before he could say anything more incriminating, he shifted into his wooden form and allowed his thoughts to run wild.

'_I should have thought about this before accepting the job. But, how can I turn down a cry for help? Especially with Haru as the messenger? Please, let there be a way I can return to my world. I don't want Haru to exit my life._

'_I don't want her… to forget about me.'_


	10. Sacrifices

Chapter Ten: Sacrifices

Quite suddenly, Haru's alarm clock started going off. She groaned, and reached to her right to silence it. But her hand only felt air.

She shot up straight, looked down, and laughed at herself. She had fallen asleep at her desk while writing. Good thing it was Sunday, she'd have to work out a schedule of some sort so that she wouldn't be exhausted for school. Her mom would be back tomorrow too, unless there's another quilting convention between Tokyo and Kyoto. Knowing her mom…

Finding herself to be ravenous, she stretched once before coming down the stairs to the kitchen. Wishing to get back to the writing as soon as possible, the girl skipped the eggs and just made herself a thick ham sandwich with a glass of milk.

Just as she was about to bite into it, the phone rang. Haru regretfully set the sandwich down and answered the phone.

"Hello, Yoshioka residence."

"Hey, Haru! Why weren't you home yesterday?"

The slim brunette sighed a little, ignoring the accusatory tone in her best friend's voice.

"I was, Hiromi. But chances are that I was locked away in my room with the phone off the hook."

"What? Were you avoiding calls from Machida?"

"Not exact-"

"You don't have to worry about that," Hiromi said anyway, cutting off her friend. "I saw him yesterday walking out of the hospital with his mom. He's got laryngitis."

"You don't say," Haru said absently, eating her sandwich while listening to the blonde go on and on, knowing that her friend just liked to hear herself talk.

"I do say. But there are some mixed feelings about this. You know he was going to try out for the part of Beast in the play, but unless he gets his voice back by Monday, he'll have to sit back and watch someone else get the part. There's surprisingly more interest in the play than one would expect, at least from the boys."

"Why would you say that?" Haru asked before downing her milk.

"Well, I _may _have mentioned it to one or two people that you would be playing Belle."

Haru nearly jumped out of her skin, and came close to coughing the milk back out of her body.

"Hiromi! That's false advertisement!"

"I don't think so. Come on, Haru, you'd be perfect for the part!"

"Too bad I don't want it. I completely intend to ask Takima-sensei for a small or behind-the-scenes role. One that will require as little of my free time as possible."

"What?! What could be more important than the play that will get you out of school, or more importantly, one that makes guys literally compete for the chance to be with you?!"

Haru took a deep breath for courage.

"I'm writing a book, and I want to finish it as quickly as possible without compromising the story."

There was silence over the phone.

"Since when were you interested in writing a book?" Hiromi asked curiously.

"Since Friday. Someone else started it, and I'm going to finish it."

"Why can't the first person finish it?"

"He died before he could. Listen, don't get too offended if I start bowing out of social activities for the next month or so. I have no idea how long writing a book takes."

"My uncle says it takes _years_. Are you sure you want to do this, now of all times?"

"Absolutely, but I refuse to let it take until after we've graduated. Two months maximum is my goal, if I don't run into any writer's blocks."

Her best friend sighed.

"All right, if that's the way you want it. I _was _going to invite you to come with my family to that new water park, but if writing the book is more important, I guess you'll have to skip out."

"Thank you so much for understanding, Hiromi. You have no idea how important this book is to me. Have fun soaking your brother!"

"Thanks, I will," the blonde said, wondering if her friend hadn't caught the real gist of what she was trying to say.

ooOoo

Haru cracked her knuckles, and picked up her pen once more.

"_After three days of travel in this manner, the princess and bureau arrived within Brimstone's domain. When they were but an hour from the palace, Toto landed and resumed his true size, since few things can alert an enemy of an invasion like a giant crow. As stealthily as possible, the company eased their way close to the monstrous castle in which the evil wizard resided. How to infiltrate the castle in itself would prove to be a challenge, since Brimstone could smell out magic with ease, and they had no clue where to even begin looking for the sword of Rowan._

"_Striking on a flash of brilliance, the good Baron decided to display his unique gift of manipulating lights. Since the castle was dark, even at midday, everyone within the walls became startled as light flooded the castle like the sun was within its stones. Brimstone immediately suspected the princess, who had long sworn to defeat him, but alas for him, the light was so evenly distributed throughout his castle that he could not pinpoint the source._

"_Throughout the chaos, the bureau and princess swiftly but surely slipped past the guards unnoticed, as well as countless demons, for the minions had been permanently blinded by Baron's display, being creatures of darkness. Under ordinary circumstances, the demons would have been able to easily sniff out the quartet that didn't belong in their circle, but truly, they were so distressed by their blindness that all the princess and Bureau had to do was step around the guards as they madly ran the halls and collided into each other. Having a slightly malicious nature, Muta couldn't restrain himself from intentionally stepping in front of a few demons and allowing them to trip over his impressive girth. Baron did not dare reprimand his friend, since doing so would certainly attract their enemies' attention. Nor could Toto offer his usual sarcasm, for the same reason."_

In her head, she could hear Muta's smug purr. Her heartbeat quickened, wondering if he had known she could hear him. Would Baron try it, if he knew there was a way for him to contact her?

'_No, don't worry about that now. Worry about the task at hand.' _Haru sighed at her own foolishness and turned the page. _'Strange, I thought that there was only one more page after this.' _Then again, that's what she thought three pages ago. Would the book keep giving her more paper to work with, or was there a limit? Shaking her head to clear it, she kept writing.

"_Brimstone kept his sight, though it was now weak. Shadow alone seemed to be the same as ever, for he had always had the aura of a puppet, only moving when his master wished it. Together, Brimstone and Shadow began to hunt the halls, searching for the ones responsible for this catastrophe. But Baron's keen ears allowed the small company enough time to hide, whenever one of them approached. Noticing how they kept circling a certain wing within the palace, Rosemary reasoned that the sword must be kept in there._

"_As carefully as the quartet could manage, they checked the rooms of the wing one by one, sometimes hiding in them when Brimstone or Shadow came down the hall. Rosemary amused herself by mixing up the dark wizard's potion bottles in his lab, although she was partially aware that she shouldn't."_

Haru could clearly hear Rosemary ask why would the brunette include that in the story, but she was apparently answering Toto. Oh, how she wished Baron would say something, but for some strange reason, he was staying silent for now. Haru grinned, hardly waiting for the princess to find out what the brunette had in store for her in the story.

"_Then, at the fourth door, they saw it. Brimstone's treasure hold."_


	11. An Unknown Secret

Chapter Eleven: An Unknown Secret

"This is it," Rosemary whispered as the Cat Bureau slipped through the door behind her, almost two seconds too late. The rebels held their breath, hearing the soft steps of Shadow as he came down the hallway once more. Baron felt that they had only Haru to thank, for all of the narrow misses they had experienced in the last hour alone. The tawny lord sighed, and started walking through the narrow alleyways littered with gold coins.

"Did Rowan's sword have any distinguishing marks?"

"Oh, yes. The hilt looks like it's made from steel leaves, and the blade has engraved symbols on both sides. It was old Ash's masterpiece," the witch princess reminisced sadly.

"Is that it?" Toto asked while flying forward to another section, since the treasure room appeared to have sections similar to plots of land. The crow came to the farthest end of the room and circled a large pile of gold. As his companions drew closer, they could see the sword sticking out of the gold heap, in the manner of Excalibur in the stone.

Rosemary made to claim the last reminder of her beloved, but Baron stopped her from climbing the gleaming hill.

"As low as my opinion is of Brimstone, I'm afraid that I just can't believe that he wouldn't have some sort of protective or alarm enchantment on the only weapon that can hope to kill him."

The princess nodded sadly, and raised one hand, which immediately filled with a dark dust. She blew on it in the manner a child would with a fluffy dandelion, taking care that the stuff would flow over the gold that held the sword in place. Immediately, the company could see the blood-red chains that held the sword upright, binding it both to the ceiling and the floor.

Rosemary sniffed the air vapors that rose from her dust, an icy chill shooting up her spine.

"That can't be right," she whispered disbelievingly. Muta shook his head at her in irritation.

"Secrets won't do us any good, Chicky. What's the problem?"

Every inch of the princess began to shake with fear and dread.

"The spell in itself is pretty complicated to pull off. If one says the words correctly while spilling their own blood, then the blood will turn into chains similar to the ones in front of us, binding down whatever object the castor designates. The spell's purpose is to prevent any but the castor from removing the object. If one of us tries to touch the sword, the chains will instantly latch onto that person, and hold him prisoner until the castor sees fit to either release him or kill him, if he's in a bad mood."

Baron sighed tiredly.

"I suppose it would make sense to have a spell like that over a weapon that can kill Brimstone. So, how do we convince the old fellow to release the spell?"

Rosemary started shaking her head, slowly at first. But then the gesture became more insistent as pure fear took over her fair face.

"It's not Brimstone's spell. I know that for a fact. If he ever touched the blade, it would destroy his powers."

Toto perched on Baron's shoulder, a little tired from all the flying.

"So, would it be Shadow's then?"

The princess threatened to collapse on the ground.

"No. Shadow has no magic. This _can't _be!"

Baron sighed, and kneeled down to the distraught princess, taking her by the shoulders gently.

"Please contain your emotions, Rosemary. Who did this spell, if not Brimstone or his right hand man?"

The princess took out a handkerchief and rubbed her eyes with it.

"It's Rowan. Except it couldn't be, he's dead. I saw that with my own eyes!" she shouted up to the ceiling, looking angry. "What kind of game is Haru playing?! She _knows _he's dead!"

"Please calm yourself," the tawny cat said, partially so that the passing guards couldn't be alerted, and partially because something unpleasant was heating his blood, at the thought of someone offending his Haru.

_His _Haru? No, deal with that later.

"You have to trust Haru on this, Highness," Baron said after some thought on how to put this gently. "I know her well, and she wouldn't include something like this unless she had a very specific reason. Now, you mentioned earlier that Rowan dissolved into ash before your eyes, correct?"

"Yes," she sobbed at the memory. He held the princess by her slender shoulders firmly.

"What happened to the ash?"

The raven-haired girl took a few deep breaths, trying to remember.

"I… I don't know. After Rowan was destroyed, Brimstone merged Hatachi's heart to his staff, and started destroying Rowan's army. We were forced to retreat before anyone could think to gather his remains."

Baron hummed, holding one hand to his furry chin.

"Is the spell over the sword one that can be executed with a dead person?"

"Absolutely not. The person in question has to be alive, and give their completely willing consent. Except Rowan would never do this, dead or alive. But if this spell is genuine," she began whispering to herself, wondering if she should dare to hope for such a thing.

Muta grunted, wishing to get the show on the road.

"If it's his spell, then he's obviously not as dead as you thought."

Rosemary nodded numbly.

"But why would he place a spell like this on the sword?"

The sound of raining gold coins clinked behind them in a flood. The quartet swiftly turned in order to see who was there.

A tall figure, clothed from head to toe in a deep black cloak, was looking at them from behind a twisted white mask that spoke silently of nightmares. The eyes were slit like a snake's, and black fabric behind the mask prevented any from seeing the assassin's eyes. The mouth was twisted into a gruesome smile, like he knew he'd enjoy killing the intruders. The sword in his hand was what had caused the noise as it ran along one of the many mountains of money.

Like the gentleman he was, Baron stood protectively in front of the princess, although there was a serious possibility that she was more equipped to fight Shadow than he was.

But Rosemary wasn't having any of it. She stormed from behind the Cat Creation, twin balls of fire in her fists.

"Where's Rowan?!" she shrieked at the silent assassin, who merely held his blade higher in his preparation to strike. Without thinking twice, Baron stole a sword that had been lying close by, and intercepted Shadow before he could strike at the princess.

"Baron!" the girl protested as the feline lord began to duel with the cloaked demon. But she held the fire ready, just in case Baron started to weaken.

The tawny lord had never encountered an opponent as skilled as Shadow before. Or as calculating. As he dodged blow after blow while giving his own, Baron thought about the last duel he had been in.

Haru was counting on him then.

And she was still counting on him now.

Baron's eyes narrowed in determination as he pulled a false lunge in order to slice deep into his opponent's leg. Shadow unwillingly collapsed to his knees as the Cat Creation swiftly brought his sword down on the dark man's neck, to rid the Created World of a terrible nuisance.

A cracking sound echoed through the treasury, but it definitely wasn't Shadow's neck.


	12. Rowan

Chapter Twelve: Rowan

Baron brought his blade down on Shadow's covered neck, certain that Brimstone would be made weaker without his right hand man.

The sword collided with the neck, but then smashed against something covering it, probably a neck guard. The cracking sound was impossibly loud for what the source was, and shattered the sword Baron was holding. The Cat Creation dropped the broken hilt, and stepped back as Shadow threw his hands to the air as an unearthly shriek wailed from his lips.

Then, so strangely, Shadow started leaking darkness from the openings of his robes and mask, leaving the man in a pool of the dark sludge as he finally fell to the floor like a dead man. The darkness rippled around him like water as his body collided with the thick sludge.

Toto had nearly fallen off his perch when Shadow's screams had echoed throughout the treasury, and quite possibly throughout the castle, but now he was settling himself back on a golden shield, his nerves shaken.

"What was _that?!_" he asked as Muta uncovered his ears.

"Eh? You say something, Birdbrain?" he said a little too loudly as Baron kneeled next to the fallen henchman, taking care not to let the sludge touch his suit (one of the few vanities he allowed for himself). The tawny half-cat carefully felt the cloaked man's neck, a little stunned. There were small bits of something hard all along all along the flesh, running onto the ground like pieces of rubble.

"There's something broken in there, but it's not his neck." He began pulling at the sturdy fabric as the witch princess kneeled next to him, extreme puzzlement clear on her fair face.

"If he isn't dead, we'll have to finish him quickly. That noise was probably enough to alert the entire castle to our presence here," the princess said firmly. Longing to satisfy an old curiosity, Rosemary took a small dagger from one of her sleeves and started cutting away at the fabric, since it had apparently been sewn over Shadow's face.

Finally, the fabric began to tear as the main door to the treasury burst open, and blind demons and goblins began to rush in, blindly knocking against each other and various treasures that were lying around. Baron picked up Shadow's blade for defense as Rosemary gave the fabric a final rip, the mask falling to the ground.

Her dark eyes widened.

Her mouth opened in astonishment.

Her hands dropped the torn fabric.

"_No_," she whispered, touching the comatose face with one finger. Muta took one look before rushing to help Baron fight back the ones that got too close to his companions or the spell-clad sword.

"I take it you know who Shadow really is?" he asked, intentionally tripping a couple demons with his girth. Rosemary held the so familiar face between her hands as he weakly breathed in and out, not quite sure if she should cry with grief or with joy she thought she'd never know again.

"_Rowan,_" she sobbed, shaking the face around a bit. "Please wake up. Come now, it's me!"

The raven-haired man groaned, uneasily rising to a sitting position before opening his sky blue eyes.

"Ugh… Rosemary? I just had the most terrible nightmare…" his hoarse voice trailed off, staring at his beloved, and holding one hand to his bleeding leg while looking around the room. His eyes rested on the blood-bound sword he had helped to create, and then he understood.

"NO!" he howled as tears fell from his face like rain. Crying herself, the princess pulled one of her knight's arms around her shoulders, so that he could stand.

"Beloved, please-" she tried to beg.

"How can you call me that?! After everything I've done to you?" Rowan sobbed, trying to withdraw from Rosemary, who now had a grip of iron on him as the Cat Bureau protected them. Even Toto swooped down and knocked a couple goblins off of their stubby green feet.

"It wasn't you, Beloved," she said tearfully, picking the last bits of the golden collar from the neck of his robe. "See? Brimstone put an obedience collar on you. You didn't have a choice in the matter."

The dark man still couldn't look his princess in the eye. She hugged him tighter.

"Please take up your sword, Rowan. Brimstone must perish, before he does more damage."

The man nodded depressingly, and made to climb the mountain. But his leg was in such pain that Rosemary alone couldn't keep him on his feet.

"Baron!" she called desperately, getting the Cat Creation to knock down a few pieces of armor for the blinded goblins to trip over before rushing to help the princess with her knight.

Rowan didn't even notice when the half-cat wrapped his other arm around a furry neck, and keep pacing the mountain of gold, up to the spelled sword.

One blood-red chain rushed up to wrap around Rosemary's neck, but then the chain dissolved at Rowan's touch as he brushed it away like a cobweb. Tears were still falling from his eyes as Baron unwrapped the arm from his neck and helped the knight wrap a shaky hand around the hilt.

The remaining chains fell to dust, and the sword fell towards its owner, making his wrist twist into an uncomfortable position from the dead weight of the formidable weapon.

"I won't be able to fight him like this. My leg's cut pretty deep," the darkly clad knight panted with pain and remorse.

"Many apologies for that," Baron said smoothly, wondering how on earth they were going to get Hatachi's heart away from the wizard and live long enough for it to matter.

A great hole of darkness began to hover over the trio, one that was all too familiar to Rowan and Rosemary.

"_Well well well," _an old voice hissed as a chalk-white face appeared in the darkness, smiling grimly, like he didn't really want to. _"You stole my Shadow. How unexpected."_

Rowan began to growl angrily as he tried to lift the sword, but Baron firmly took the weapon away, intending to slay the wizard himself. Then a familiar sweet voice began to reverberate through his head before he could issue a challenge.

'_But the good Baron, knowing that he was not the one to destroy Brimstone, only used the sword's magical properties to take him and his dear companions away from the castle, knowing that the seer's heart would have to wait for its own rescue.'_

He growled as well, but trusted Haru in this as a transportation spell began to form in his mind, doubtlessly from the brunette's gentle prodding.

"Toto, Muta! Get closer now!" the Cat Creation yelled before nipping his wrist enough to draw blood, taking care not to stain his clothes or glove.

Knowing that Baron meant business when he used _that _tone, the Crow Creation immediately grabbed the offered front paws of the abnormally fat cat, and soared to the top of the gold pile as Baron rubbed the ruby in the pommel with his blood, both of which had magical properties of their own.

'_Please take me and my companions to a safe place, where Rowan can heal from his wounds.'_

Brimstone could feel the magic building, but before he could do anything, the two animals had reached the top of the mountain of treasure, and golden light once again filled the castle as the small group disappeared.

Once the light had faded, Brimstone uncovered his face from the billowing black sleeve, and made a landing on the same place that his enemies had been on. He looked at his bumbling underlings with disgust as they tried to navigate by shrieks and beatings.

"Silence!" he thundered, sharply bringing down his staff, a deafening echo silencing his minions. He glared at them, fire present in his slitted eyes.

"You fools," he hissed. "Thanks to your incompetence, the champion has not only escaped my control, but has stolen back the instrument of my destruction." Thoughtfully, he rubbed the darkly riddled gem on his staff, which was shaped like a heart. He stared off into space as his anger continued to grow.

"Such good fortune for my enemies can only mean one thing. A new seer." He looked up at the gem, which was blinking weakly.

"I think you'd enjoy a little company, old man."

Not that it mattered to the wizard.


	13. Brimstone's Plan

Chapter Thirteen: Brimstone's Plan

Haru sighed, and stretched a little. Her legs had lost all feeling in them, and she was taking a small break before continuing with the story.

'_I hope that helped to ease your pain, Rosemary. Besides, we kind of need Rowan anyway.'_

Without warning, the book started flaring with white light again and long arms reached out in order to grab the brunette.

Haru yelped as she fell to the floor, Rosemary solidifying on top of her and weeping hysterically.

"Thank you so much, Haru! I thought I'd never see him again!"

The slim girl laughed a little nervously while sitting up, hugging the witch back.

"I couldn't think of a better way to bring him back into the story. How's he holding up?"

"He's tired, injured, distraught, and hungry. But he's alive! I never thought I could be this happy!" Rosemary kept beaming.

Haru smiled grimly, and squeezed the princess.

"You'll have to stay near him until his leg heals. Don't let him sink into the pits of despair over the crimes he was forced to commit. I haven't figured out a way to steal the heart back yet, but Rowan will need to be able to focus when the time comes."

The raven-haired witch wiped a few tears of relief from her face.

"What happens next, Haru?"

"The story's going to go a bit slower from here on in. Rowan will need time to recover, both spiritually and physically before he can try anything with his sword."

The princess nodded, and stood up in order to disappear back inside the book, her eyes still filled with a fierce affection for the mortal girl.

"I'm going to get you your heart's desire when this is over, even if it kills me."

"Don't talk like that," the brunette said sternly. "You'll need to lead your people after Brimstone is defeated, remember?" _'And I really don't want to force Baron into anything he doesn't want.'_

Rosemary sighed a little tiredly, but her joy was too fresh to be diminished so quickly.

"I'll find a way, Haru. You _will _receive what your heart desires."

The brunette smiled, and waved goodbye as the witch princess dissolved back into the book in a golden waterfall. Haru watched her go before her eyes, as if by chance, became drawn to the small cat-shaped clock next to her bed. She gasped disbelievingly at the time.

"How the heck did it get so late?!"

In a flurry, she changed back into her pajamas and set her alarm clock to wake her up for the first day of the new semester. As she cuddled underneath the soft sheets, she sighed and allowed herself to drift to sleep, hoping that she would be able to focus on her duties in the morning.

As the young girl's breathing became slow and regular, her room became a few shades darker than what it usually was. Over on her desk, the open manuscript shuddered slightly as the black ink began to gather into a dark vortex. A black hand shot out, and flailed around, trying to find something within range of its grasp as it slowly turned as pale as death.

Reluctantly, the hand withdrew, and a white bald head rose from the pages in a similar fashion to a swimmer in the water. Slitted red eyes scanned the room in confusion before resting on the girl's sleeping form. Smiling grimly, Brimstone rose from the pages, and stepped onto the girl's floor. He narrowly avoided tripping on a half-full water glass she had brought up earlier and had set on the floor in her tired state.

Grimacing, the dark wizard stepped lightly around the clutter to reach the girl's bed, where the slim brunette was dreaming peacefully. He stopped at the side of the bed, and looked at the new seeress.

'_Surely this is a joke. A woman?!' _

And a fairly young and pretty one, too. He sighed as silently as he could, and reached out his hand to the girl's chest.

A flowing green light encompassed the girl's body from her glowing necklace, providing a one foot barrier between the brunette and the one who wished her harm. Brimstone hissed evilly, forced to retreat.

'_When did Rosemary get her hands on that amulet?!' _The evil wizard desperately wanted to start pacing the room, but couldn't risk it with all the clutter on the floor. The old man hadn't been one for clean floors either. Were all seers slobs?

Glowing red eyes scanned the room, trying to find something he could use. Things would be a lot simpler if he could just pick up the manuscript and place it somewhere that no one would be able to touch it. But unfortunately, he wasn't allowed to move the manuscript, as it had his essence embedded in it as well as his entire world. He growled as softly as he could, glaring at the girl.

'_I can't harm her, and she probably knows it, so threatening won't work. Well, everyone has a weak point. I just need to find hers.'_

He looked up and down the room, finding only misplaced clothes and dishes, with a couple books lying around. A glowing clock of sorts was close to the girl's head. Brimstone took a closer look at the strange contraption.

It was a cat, with the clock face in the stomach portion as it arched its back with one paw raised to take a step, forever frozen in time. But it obviously hadn't always been the color that it now was, small bits of glossy paint not quite in the right places. The girl had painted the cat to have light green eyes, with orange-colored fur on the top of the body and cream fur along the bottom, with orange markings around the eyes.

It looked plenty like the strange half-cat creature that had come between him and that troublesome princess.

Brimstone's eyes became further distracted at an open sketchbook with the creature's portrait right next to the clock. Curious, he picked it up and started thumbing through the pages. They were all filled with black and white images of the strange half-cat in various poses, ones with swords or a raised cane being the most repeated. At the very last page, the wizard's hands stopped cold.

This time, the creature was dressed in a flowing cape and feathered hat, but that wasn't what was making the sorcerer stare. It was the female half-cat that the gray cat was holding.

Looking at the comatose girl again, Brimstone realized that the she-cat was the seeress herself, since the picture had the same kind of hair, and her face. The cat-girl in the picture was waltzing with the taller half-cat and resting her head on his broad chest. A smile of sheer ecstasy was on her lips and her eyes were closed with contentment. The plumed cat holding her was also smiling happily and holding her close while breathing in the scent of her hair.

'_Is it possible? That she's in __**love**__ with that creature? Did she create him as well?' _He looked around the pages again, trying to find a name, either of their names, but found none.

Slowly, an evil plan began to form in his mind. He grinned wickedly, and folded the sketchbook under one arm.

'_Wait. She'll know I've been here if this goes missing.' _Instead, the dark magician tore off the page of the two half-cats waltzing. The brunette in the bed moaned at the sound as Brimstone hastily set the book where he found it and folded the paper into his flowing sleeve.

The girl sighed dreamily in her sleep, turning over and hugging the pillow tightly as the magician navigated his way back to the book, now smiling maniacally.

'_Thank you kindly for the information, my little seeress. I'll collect your heart when you willingly surrender it to me. Then the story will once again be mine to control. This time… forever.'_


	14. Silent Cries

Chapter Fourteen: Silent Cries

Baron looked up as Rosemary reappeared inside the cave they had been hiding out in. Rowan was passed out on a bed of soft green moss as the Cat Creation finished sewing his leg back together. The tawny feline smiled a little grimly, still put out that she hadn't waited for him to finish Rowan's leg before visiting the brunette, so that he could have gone as well. His heart seemed to thud with a dull ache, missing the girl sorely.

"How's Haru?" he asked, tying off the knot in the thread in Rowan's leg before wrapping a gauzy bandage around the wound. The witch princess seemed to sparkle like stars in the night sky, as she sat down on her beloved's other side so that she could hold his limp hand.

"She's doing well. She says that the story's going to go a bit slower until Rowan heals enough to fight."

Baron looked down at the leg as he tied the end of the bandage neatly.

"Then it will be a few weeks, at least."

Rosemary nodded, gorging herself on the sight of Rowan's sleeping face.

"I wish I knew what I could possibly hope to repay Haru with, for doing all this."

The fat cat woke up enough to snicker a bit.

"Why don't you ask Baron? _He_ knows what Haru wants more than anything."

The raven-haired beauty looked up at the Cat Creation, who suddenly looked nervous. He looked away guiltily.

"She can't have that, and she knows it."

Rosemary smiled grimly and prodded the half-cat's elbow.

"Come now, you can tell me. What does she want more anything?"

Baron sighed sadly.

"She… has made it clear to me in the past that although we are good friends, she feels a bit stronger for me than as a friend alone."

Toto started chuckling a bit.

"Translation: Haru's smitten by him." He laughed again before flying out of the cave to serve as a lookout.

Rosemary's eyebrows shot up with disbelief. But the Cat Creation's face made it all too clear that the Crow Creation had nailed the situation down. She tilted her head a bit, studying him a little.

"So _that_ was what she meant," she murmured softly. "Haru said that she'd be really impressed if I _could_ get her what she wanted more than anything."

Baron nodded gravely, and then stood up, his medical task completed.

"I better go find some firewood. If we move deep enough into the cave, no one will notice the smoke."

"Wait, Baron," Rosemary called out, one arm still around her beloved. "How do you feel about Haru?" She could see his shoulders tense up, and his grip on the polished cane turn harder.

"She's a wonderful girl that will go far in whatever she dedicates herself to, and as such deserves someone that can age with her, preferably even the same species as her." With that, the tawny feline marched out of the cave, and into the dense forest. Muta sat up and stretched a bit.

"Translation; he's just as crazy about her, but he can't _do_ anything about it, thanks to all of the obvious barriers. Things would have been a lot simpler between them if Haru had stayed a cat, but-"

"Haru was a cat?!" Rosemary asked, completely shocked, since she had seen the girl come to the library practically since she was a baby. The fat white cat sighed, and waddled a little closer. Toto was off to gain information from the local crows, so it wasn't like the obese feline had anything better to do.

"It all started a couple months ago…"

ooOoo

The beeping returned. It always returned.

Haru sighed tiredly as she reached over to stop the alarm clock, getting out of bed as she did so, so that she wouldn't fall back asleep the way she used to. Numbly, she got ready for school while looking at the manuscript.

'_Do I dare take it to school and work on it during breaks? No, that will only endanger it.' _Sighing, the teenager closed the manuscript, emptied out the basket she kept her yarn in, and then carefully placed the papers inside before covering them with the yarn again. Checking the clock, she was grateful that she had enough time to make herself a bento box and some breakfast before going to school.

She settled for some quick sandwiches for both meals, pouring some of her special tea blend into a thermos for lunch while sipping a cup.

'_I'll need some time to think about where I want to take the story from here anyway.'_

Finished with her bento box, she wrapped it up in a pink handkerchief before slipping it inside her schoolbag. Sighing a bit, she slipped on the shoes that were at the door before stepping though and locking the house up tight. Her mother, theoretically, should be home by the time school was over, so Haru had left some tea in the pot for her. Her mother was hopelessly addicted to the girl's personal blend.

Deciding that she'd like a bit of exercise, the slim brunette began jogging at a decent pace, fully aware that she had plenty of time to get to school. She had never really noticed the simple beauty of the trees and flowers that lined the path to school until after her adventure in the Cat Kingdom had cured her of most of her worst habits, including tardiness. But now, she felt blissfully calm about everything.

As the gates to the school came into sight, the young lady slowed down to a regular pace, and stepped lightly through the barrier between the educational system and the rest of the world.

Hiromi jumped on her as soon as the brunette passed the gate, happily riding piggy back on her surprised friend.

"Could you carry me inside, Haru-chan? I'm still tired," the blonde yawned while nuzzling the brunette's shoulder playfully. The slim girl laughed, and just wound her arms around Hiromi's legs for a better grip before continuing on her journey, making sure that her blonde friend's skirt covered everything it needed to.

"One of these days, I'm going to have to start charging you for using me as a taxi."

"What?! Would you do that to a friend?" the blonde pouted, stretching an arm out in order to try to open the door. But a fellow senior rushed up and held the glass door wide open for the girls. He grinned a little nervously.

"Ladies first."

Haru smiled warmly at her classmate while easing her way through the door.

"Why thank you, Toru. Have a nice weekend?"

The boy flushed a deep crimson as he followed the girls into the building, and walked beside the brunette.

"It was pretty good. I've been reading up on all the versions of Beauty and the Beast that I could find, so I can be better prepared for the tryouts after school."

Haru's smile became a little faded, remembering what Hiromi had told her the day before.

"I'm certain that your hard work will pay off, Toru."

He blushed deeper, and smiled happily as another boy came up, a book in his hands.

"I've been working on my singing, Haru! Listen to this… _no-o beauty could move me, no-o hope left within me-"_

"Hey, I was talking to her first!" Toru protested angrily as the redhead was cut off.

"Oh? And what if she wanted to talk to _me _instead of _you_?"

"What if she doesn't like your singing?"

"I think I'll head to class now," Haru said in a monotone, weaseling her way past the upcoming feud and past the counselor's office. '_Since when was I __**this **__popular with the boys?'_

From behind the glass separating the room from the hallway, a strange pair of eyes followed the brunette with interest as she set her friend down so that they could go to their separate lockers before class.

"… and that should cover everything you need to know. Are there any other questions, as long as I have you in here?"

The young man nodded, craning his neck a bit in order to keep his gaze on the slim girl as she disappeared around the bend.

"One more should cover it, I think. Who was that rather fetching young lady that walked past us just now?"

"Eh? Which one?"

ooOoo

The few words that got sung were from the Beauty and Beast Broadway play, and were sung by the character of Beast in 'If I Can't Love Her'. It's a very beautiful song that makes you want to break down and cry.


	15. The New Transfer Student

Chapter Fifteen: The New Transfer Student

Haru sat down at her desk, and slipped the items she wouldn't immediately need into the open space before lining up her paper and pencils. She could feel Hiromi poke her arm from her seat in front of the brunette.

"Can I borrow a pen today? I forgot to buy any over the weekend."

The brunette smiled a bit while handing one over.

"At this rate, I'll run out before the tryouts. Are you going to them?"

"With all those hot guys hanging around? Big fat duh, Haru. Big fat duh."

"What about Tsuge?" the brunette asked, lightly tracing a certain cat's head on a scrap of paper.

"He's one of the guys that will be there. Machida's making him protect you from any guys that try to come on too strong."

The darker girl sighed, noticing that the dark youth was smiling nervously at her, like he was afraid to approach her without a voice.

"I don't see how those two get along so well. Tsuge strikes me as having a personality."

The blonde's eyes sharpened.

"That had better be a friendly observation."

"What else would it be?" Haru asked, introducing slitted eyes to her little doodle of Baron. Her heart throbbed painfully, missing him so much, even if it was just the knowledge that he wasn't waiting at the Refuge for her anymore.

The sensei coughed pointedly, sending all the students to their respective seats. Haru looked over to the side of her, wondering why the seat was empty. Yoshi wasn't one to be late for any reason. The sensei shuffled his papers around.

"Well, here we are. The first day of the last semester before we release all of you to the outside world. I expect each of you to be able to cope with the finals with grace and firmness of mind. I trust that no one will start to feel _too _comfortable, or they'll have to be prepared to stay an extra year." He smiled a little wickedly.

"With the threats out of the way, I have some bad news and good news." He gestured to the one empty seat in the room, the one right next to Haru.

"I'm certain that many of you didn't know this, but Mr. Nagashi's father got transferred to the other side of the city, so he won't be in our midst anymore. On a brighter note, we get a completely new student, one that had traveled a bit farther than the other side of the city in order to join us." The sensei stood up, and walked to the sliding door in the back of the room. Haru craned her neck around her chair, watching the middle-aged man open the door slightly in order to look through it.

Satisfied, the man opened the door wide, and beckoned for someone to come in.

"Won't you join us, Mr. Garrington?"

Haru's heart skipped two beats at the slightly familiar name, but then stopped cold as a handsome golden blonde entered the room.

He was tall, taller than even the sensei, and stood erect like a soldier.

Or a gentleman.

His mint green eyes took in the room warmly as he bowed politely, although they seemed to stay a second too long on a certain shell-shocked brunette. He smiled warmly before speaking in a foreign but extremely attractive accent.

"A pleasure to meet you, everyone. I'm Aaron John Garrington."

Haru quickly looked away from the dashing blonde, breathing hard like she had been in a marathon. She covered her mouth with one hand, trying to introduce rational thought to her consciousness.

'_What… is going on?!'_

Hiromi's gaze flicked to her darker friend, a little surprised that there _was _something that could still get underneath Haru's skin.

"Why don't you take the empty seat next to Miss Yoshioka, Mr. Garrington?" the teacher asked, nearly pointing at the girl herself. Aaron smiled warmly, bowed, and started making his way to the chair, his school supplied tucked into one arm.

'_Get yourself under control, Haru. This is probably just a freak coincidence at an inconvenient time! Be nice, easy girl…'_

The golden youth neatly set himself in the chair, and smiled at her while setting his books and paper-filled binder in their places, clicking a pen to say he was ready to learn.

"Hello," he said softly, looking at the brunette next to him. Haru smiled politely back.

"Welcome to Hirashi High," she said just as softly before giving her full attention to the professor, willing her heart to stop its wild dance.

ooOoo

Thus began the longest school day in recorded history. Haru had to copy down every word the sensei was saying, in order to distract herself from Aaron.

The dark blonde, although following the older man with his ears and pencil, was frequently sneaking glances at the brunette next to him, quietly studying her with a soft expression on his face.

Suddenly, a guy from his other side slipped the blonde a note with 'Aron' written incorrectly on it. Puzzled, the young man looked at the one who had passed it on. The young man wordlessly pointed to the darker one a few chairs over. Aaron glanced at the writer, a little surprised to see a glare of pure hatred emanating from him. But he wordlessly opened the note as discreetly as he could manage.

_If you know what's good for you, you had better leave Haru alone. She's with me._

One of his golden eyebrows rose a bit, feeling a bit skeptic about the claim and assuming that the lovely brunette beside him was 'Haru'.

Oh well, only one way to find out.

Next time the teacher had his back turned, Aaron subtly prodded the slim girl in the arm with the soft end of his pencil, enough for her to look over at him so he could pass on the note, a questioning look in his eyes. Like a pro, she held her hands on her desk with fingers intertwined, so that the teacher couldn't see her reading the slightly threatening note.

She bit down a laugh, looking at the one she instinctively knew had written the note. The dark teenager was obviously surprised that the blonde had passed the note on, but was looking at the fair maiden hopefully, but the brunette firmly shook her head, and gave him a stern look. He flinched, and faced the front of the room again with a sad sigh, his shoulders fallen in defeat.

Aaron sighed with relief.

'_So she's free game after all.'_

Haru nodded once to thank the newcomer, and smiled before returning to her notes, slowly ripping the one that had been passed around so that the sensei wouldn't notice. The tall blonde also returned to his schoolwork, knowing that there would be time later for a proper conversation.

'_I think I'm going to like it just fine here in Japan.'_


	16. Love and War

Chapter Sixteen: Love and War

"… and so the kingdom fell, thanks to the greed of the young king. That should cover it for today," the teacher said, brushing the chalk dust from his hands. "Have your lunch hour, and then you'll adjourn for P.E."

Hiromi immediately wheeled around in the chair, her olive green eyes sparkling a bit.

"Do you two know each other?" she asked excitedly. Aaron cocked his head in puzzlement while closing the binder.

"What would make you think we know each other?" he asked politely. Hiromi looked at her best friend and grinned.

"I saw how you reacted when you saw him."

Haru blushed a little before regaining control.

"He reminded me of someone I know, that's all." Her chocolate brown eyes flicked to the golden lad next to her. "We haven't met, have we?"

Aaron shook his head, smiling warmly.

"I'm pretty certain _I _would remember. Pray, where do we go for lunch?"

"You're looking at it," Hiromi said while unwrapping her bento box from the blue handkerchief. Aaron watched with amazement as all the other kids pulled out similar boxes, some switching seats so that they could sit with their friends.

Haru looked at the new guy while easing a tuna fish sandwich out from the box.

"You weren't aware that we bring our own lunches, were you?"

Aaron nodded his head, confusion clear.

"Back home, the school provides it. I wish I had learned about this sooner."

The brunette smiled, and held out her sandwich.

"Then feel free. I packed too much anyway."

The dark blonde blinked, but then accepted the offering.

"Thank you, Miss Haru. I'll be better prepared tomorrow."

The brunette nodded, and bit neatly into the second sandwich, grateful that she had accidentally put more tuna into them than she usually did. If nothing else, the new guy would be able to hold on until after school. As Aaron finished his own sandwich, Haru opened up her thermos.

"Do you like tea?" she asked. The blonde rolled his eyes.

"I'm British."

The slim brunette laughed while pouring the cup-like lid as high as it would go.

"I guess that was a stupid question. When did you move here?"

"Last night, actually. It was quite a race to come here before the semester started. My mother should be home by the time school's over, though." Aaron accepted the plastic cup and sipped politely. His eyes widened in astonishment.

"You know, this is quite good. I've never tried this kind before. What is it?"

"Haru-chan's special blend," Hiromi said, glumly sipping her lemonade. With a guy involved, she couldn't beg Haru to switch drinks again. The brunette carefully sipped from the thermos.

"It's a little different each time, so I can never guarantee the taste."

Aaron studied the girl quietly while sipping her tea.

"That's quite an extraordinary talent, Miss Haru."

The brunette shrugged, although her heart was beating madly.

'_Get a grip on yourself, Haru. He practically told you that he wasn't Baron.' _"Thank you, Aaron."

From across the classroom, Machida was watching jealously, not noticing that he was eating with two pens instead of chopsticks.

'_This isn't fair! I've been trying to get a taste of her tea for months! What does this guy have that I don't?!'_

ooOoo

Aaron was still smiling contentedly as the locker room manager assigned him a locker, and he started getting into his new gym clothes, still not quite sure what they would be doing for the first day of the new semester.

"I suppose you think you're pretty hot stuff?" a boy next to him asked a little crabbily. The blonde looked over at the redhead curiously.

"Whatever do you mean?"

"Haru," the boy all but growled. "It's only fair to warn you that she's that nice to everyone, and there are quite a couple of guys after her."

The golden youth smiled warmly, and closed his locker.

"With that sparkling personality, I can believe it. Thank you for the warning… I didn't catch your name?"

"Daisuke, one of your rivals for Haru," the redhead said stiffly, his eyes ablaze with a fierce determination. Aaron smiled again, and bowed politely.

"May the best man win."

"All right, boys, head out to the gym!" the locker keeper shouted, saving Daisuke from having to answer the newcomer. Aaron casually walked behind the others, deciding to ignore their icy treatment of him.

To be honest, the one he most wanted the friendship of was the fetching brunette. But he would have to find a way to at least cope with the other males. This would require a little thought…

He came out into a fairly standard gym, with the girls filing out of another door. Even when she was in a crowd, there was something about that girl that stuck out like a sore thumb. Was it the dreaming look in her eyes?

The gym teacher clapped his hands together, getting the two genders to line up neatly, the newcomer catching on quickly and standing at the end. He smiled warmly, and coughed once.

"Since today is the first day, we're going to do something pretty basic. As most of you know, we start each semester in here with a study in dancing, so we will be doing ballroom today. Haru, you know the drill."

The brunette nodded glumly, and walked over to the side of the gym. Neatly, she sat herself down, and wrapped her arms around her legs in order to watch the rest of her class. Aaron followed her with his eyes, a little surprised as a few of the girls giggled good-naturedly.

"All right, now that we have Twister out of the way, I'll start assigning pairs. Hmm, Tsuge, you're with Hiromi."

The dark youth grinned, and walked over to the blonde in order to wrap one arm possessively around her waist.

"Sir, yes sir!" he said loudly as the redhead threw her arms around his neck happily. The coach bit back a laugh, and kept walking, assigning couples with check marks to the pad in his hands. Finally, he came up to Aaron, a small smile in his eyes. The class had been composed of equal parts male and female, so with Haru on the sidelines, the new guy was now standing alone.

"I'm afraid you'll have to switch off with Machida after a few rounds, young man. There isn't a partner for you."

The girl currently in the brunette's arms was looking at the golden youth a little longingly, making her partner scowl. Aaron cocked his head and looked pointedly at the brunette next to the wall, who was already off in her own little world, her gaze far-off and distant.

"What's wrong with Miss Haru?"

The coach's gray eyes lit up with mirth.

"She's a natural disaster on the dance floor. The ambulance people were actually laughing their heads off when we tried to explain how poor Yoshi got two broken legs."

Aaron's ears twitched, oh so slightly. He just refused to believe that someone as quiet and graceful as the young lady could do such damage. The coach started walking away, still chuckling a bit over the memory as a shudder ran up his spine.

"May I try dancing with her anyway?" the tall blonde asked aloud. The students all wheeled around to stare at him in shock, Haru still lost inside her own thoughts and unaware that anything was happening at all. The gym coach looked over at the new boy, squinted a little, and looked at the clipboard in his hand to find the lad's name.

"Be warned, Aaron. We don't call Haru 'The Twister' for nothing."

The golden youth stole one glance at the brunette, hating how lonely she looked, sitting alone. Biting his lip subtly, he nodded firmly at the coach before approaching the slim girl with singleness of purpose, and looking down at her slim form.

It took the girl a moment or two to realize that the newcomer was right in front of her. She looked up at him, like her mind was still a thousand miles away. He bowed low like a gentleman before her.

"May I have this dance, Miss Haru?" He stole a single glance at her fair pale face, which seemed to be going whiter by the second.

Was she… _afraid _of him?

She managed to say one word as a nervous smile crossed her slim lips.

"S-sure."


	17. Dances and Plays

Chapter Seventeen: Dances and Plays

Aaron smiled softly, relieved as the girl slowly put her hand in his, everyone else completely shocked that the lad had actually asked for it. The coach groaned, and pulled out a cell phone with a small stereo remote.

"I have 911 on speed dial," he said in a tired tone, turning on a fairly standard waltz as Aaron guided Haru to the opposite side of the room to have as much space as possible, since the other students were beginning to look a little nervous as they began to circle each other.

Unlike before, the males were all for the blonde being close to the brunette, for the disaster that they knew all too well was about to strike. Machida was nearly quivering with anticipation and glee.

"Did you really break both of the last boy's legs?" Aaron asked curiously as he turned to face her, and respectfully place one hand on her waist. Haru blushed a bit, while raising one hand to his shoulder.

"Of course not," she muttered under her breath. Then she seemed to wake up, a little shocked at herself for some strange reason. "Oh, you mean Yoshi? Yes, but that happened two years ago. That's why I got banished to the wall."

He smiled warmly at her and started guiding the slim brunette through a standard box-step, trying not to look too deep into the fact that she was a bit short for him.

"I think it's high time you were un-banished," he whispered softly.

She smiled a little nervously, took a deep breath, and then followed him into the plunge.

Although it wasn't the tender waltz that she had shared with the Cat Creation, both the setting and music being completely off, it was nonetheless beautifully performed. The coach dropped both his cell phone and clipboard in shock as the former clumsy duckling gracefully flowed across the gym like a swan in the strange man's arms. Machida stopped moving at all, his mouth open in astonishment as Aaron expertly picked the brunette up by the waist and swung her in a full circle before setting her down in a low dip.

Haru looked deep into Aaron's eyes as he let her up, and they twirled around each other some more before he twirled her around more loosely than Baron had, using his whole arm in the motion instead of just the hand.

'_This is so scary. I know he's not Baron, but his touch… the way he dances with me… it's like I'm with Baron. Except I'm not. I know I'm not, he's still in Malgea helping Rosemary-'_

"PERFECT!" a voice crowed happily.

Haru broke out of her private thoughts, and looked over at the double doors, shocked that Takima-sensei had somehow sneaked in. Aaron also looked over, keeping Haru suspended in the air by her waist, her own arms extended to the heavens. But, he was confused by the hyper teacher as well, since she just kept clapping like a mad woman. But, like the gentleman he was, the tall blonde smiled politely.

"I highly doubted that Miss Haru was as clumsy as everyone said."

The darkly dressed drama teacher stormed in as he set the girl down, and clasped his hands warmly, since everyone else including the gym teacher was too stunned to even breathe.

"Tell me, young man, can you act?" she asked excitedly, pumping his arm up and down. Aaron cocked his head, a little confused by the question.

"When the occasion demands it."

The middle-aged blonde nearly started jumping up and down.

"Then, would you consider being the lead in this semester's play? I'm going to have Haru in the female lead." Her voice turned coaxing as the brunette in question began to panic.

"Actually, Takima-sensei, I was hoping for a small or behind-the-scenes role."

"Nonsense, child! If I had known earlier that you had been hiding your dancing abilities, I wouldn't have bothered trying to cut that scene out of the play!" She grabbed both of the couple's arms, and held them high like she was about to announce the new wrestling champion.

"Behold… Beauty and the Beast!"

"What?!" Daisuke shouted angrily. "What about try outs!"

"There are other parts, dear boy. Besides, any couple that can dance _this _well together are bound to work well together!"

Machida stormed up to the drama teacher, got down on his knees, and tried talking again with his hands clasped, his expression pleading. Although Haru wasn't the best at reading lips, she could tell that he was saying things like 'please don't do this' or 'my voice will be back long before the opening night!'

A strange feeling came over the brunette, one that she hadn't quite experienced to this degree.

It was pity. And it wasn't just for him. A few of the other boys were also coming up, demanding to at least _compete _for the position.

Somehow realizing that she wasn't going to be getting away, now that the school would shortly be finding out that she could dance wonderfully now (she hadn't told anyone because it would necessitate explaining the Baron), she sighed and pulled on the arm that the drama teacher was still holding up, to get her attention.

"It'd be a bit more fair if you held the try outs as promised, Takima-sensei. I can't lie to save my life, remember? Other girls might want to be Belle."

"We're doing the Beaumont version, dear. You'd be Beauty."

"Yeah!" a random girl shouted. "Give the rest of us a chance! _She _doesn't want it!"

"Enough!" the gym teacher finally roared, picking up his clipboard. "_Please, _Miss Takima, keep your class out of mine!"

"Oh, all right," the woman pouted, releasing the pair reluctantly. She winked at the golden boy playfully. "I'll be seeing both of you in the next class, then. And Haru, part of the reason I want you for Beauty is-"

"OUT!" the other teacher howled, using his clipboard to point at the door. The woman sighed, and walked through them.

"-is because you're practically her. Teach you a few lines, and then just follow your instincts. No one would ever know that you're acting."

Haru groaned, facing away from the class and the swinging doors with one hand over her face, which was turning red with humiliation.

'_She's not going to be fair. She's going to cast me and Aaron in the lead roles, even if there are people better qualified for it. I'm going to have to be terrible on purpose, so that I can keep my focus on the manuscript.'_

Aaron chuckled warmly, semi-making the girl forget her original thoughts for the present.

"And here I was, thinking that I would have to actually _look _for after-school activities." He looked at the brunette, and smiled warmly enough to get another blush to crawl onto her fair cheeks.

'_And what kind of fool would turn down the chance to spend more time with Haru? Certainly not I.'_


	18. An Afternoon Stroll

Chapter Eighteen: An Afternoon Stroll

Hiromi was in hysterical laughter by the time she and her best friend walked out of the high school.

"The look on your face, Haru! Like she was asking you to clean the bathrooms of the campus for a year!"

"Ha ha," the other girl muttered, reaching up to take off the wig that the drama teacher had insisted that the brunette wear. It was a chocolate color close to her original hair, but the strands had a decided soft curl in them that the brunette used to dream for when she was a child. The fake hair was also long enough to almost reach her waist, which was far more suitable for her role as a medieval maiden than her short locks.

"Oh, keep it on, Haru. It looks good on you," the sandy blonde urged.

Making a foul face, the slim brunette pulled it off, and started stuffing it into the plastic bag it had come in.

"It's also itchy, heavy, and a little too hot for this weather."

"You know Takima-sensei just wants you to get used to it before the big night."

"Which is two months away," the lead said glumly, feeling the weight of the script in her book bag.

This was exactly what she was trying to avoid. There was no telling how much of her time would now be eaten up by the play. Well, she'd just have to work out a schedule of some sort so that she could do all of her duties, including writing the manuscript.

Aaron had somehow beaten them out of the building, and was reading the script with interest while leaning against the iron gate, students flowing past him like a river. But as soon as he looked up and saw Haru, the thick booklet was quickly but calmly closed and slipped into the brown book bag at his side. He smiled warmly at the girls, getting the brunette to blush again.

"May I have the pleasure of walking both of you home?" he asked politely. Haru's heart began to speed up again.

'_He has a mom waiting for him at home, so he probably won't stay longer than necessary.' _"Sure, why not?" the slim girl said carelessly.

Aaron smiled warmly at her again, and began walking on the side of the brunette that wasn't taken by the blonde.

"It seems to me that Takima-sensei wasn't paying all that much attention to anyone else that auditioned for the main roles."

Haru sighed glumly, and nodded.

"She's pretty stubborn, that's for sure."

His glowing green eyes lit up with mirth, and a small smile played upon his lips.

"Just out of curiosity, if you didn't want to be Beauty, why didn't you just say no?"

"Because her graduation's at stake," Hiromi interjected, leafing through her own script. "If she doesn't do what Takima-sensei wants for the play, then Haru won't graduate, at least this year like she's supposed to."

A golden eyebrow arched in disbelief.

"Blackmail?"

"Pretty much," Haru laughed at the all-too true conclusion. "And with the way she's been acting, she probably picked me out for this role last year, and was just waiting for the opportunity to strike." She looked straight ahead of her, and those brown orbs began to fade once more. "If I didn't get involved with writing an unfinished book, I'd probably be glad to participate."

"Well, you sure were excited about it before then," Hiromi said, pulling a face as she ran into an apartment building. "See you both tomorrow!"

"See you," Haru said as Aaron gave a polite wave, still walking at a leisurely pace. Haru suddenly realized that she was now completely alone with a guy that could quite possibly be Baron's human twin. She snuck a glance at him through the corner of her eye.

"So, why did you move here?"

Aaron's smile faded slightly.

"My mother accepted a job for a fancy quilting magazine, and we needed a change of scenery."

The brunette quirked an eyebrow.

"Which one? Quilter's Garden or Fabric Paradise?"

Aaron's smooth stride became broken.

"Quilter's Garden. Are you a quilter?"

Haru shrugged.

"I do a little, but my mom's the one that does it the most. She works for Quilter's Garden as well, so if you had said Fabric Paradise, I may have had to declare war on you and your family. Out of duty, you understand."

Aaron laughed warmly.

"My, that _would_ have been a terrible shame." He gripped his schoolbag a little tighter, and rubbed the handle a little nervously. "It would be a little difficult to do the play if we were at war."

Haru nodded, her eyes fading out once more. Aaron couldn't help but wonder where her mind wandered to so often.

"That it would. It'd be a little funny to pull off, though."

"It would," Aaron agreed, and took the plunge before he lost his nerve. "Perhaps we should go over the lines together sometime."

The brunette nodded again, her eyes fading out worse than ever.

"We'll need to, more than likely. Aaron, there's something I should probably make clear right now. The book I'm attempting to finish is extremely important to me, and I'm putting my personal life on hold at least until after it's finished."

Those glimmering green eyes lost some of their sparkle, and his shoulders slumped a little.

"I thought this was going a little too smoothly. Well, how close are you to finishing?" the tall blonde asked curiously.

"It's kind of hard to tell. I doubt any writer knows exactly how many pages he'll have before he finishes. Story-wise, I'm somewhere between the middle and the ending. I've taken a vow not to let it take past graduation." The weight of the script in her book bag seemed heavier than ever, as well as the responsibility that the drama teacher had forced on her.

Aaron sighed softly, but smiled again.

"If that's the case, I'll wait as long as necessary."

Haru blushed, still wondering why guys thought she was so interesting only when she was completely smitten with someone else entirely.

_Was _it entirely? There sure were a lot of similarities between the new guy and her cat doll.

"I'm also kind of already in love with someone else," the brunette admitted while looking straight in front of herself, to avoid those beautiful green eyes.

Aaron quirked an eyebrow, clearly remembering the way that the boys in school had looked at her, and how indifferent the brunette was to their affections.

"Anyone I'll be meeting?"

Haru laughed at the thought, although there was a small chill of fear in her heart from the mental image of the two, looking at each other.

"I doubt it. He's on a business trip right now."

That last remark made the blonde smile.

'_Then perhaps I have a chance, after all.' _He looked around the neighborhood, a little surprised that the brunette had led him here. "Is your house getting closer?"

"Sure, it's right there." Haru pointed to her modest house, but then became distracted by the moving trucks on the other side of the street. She watched the movers haul furniture and large boxes into the house that had been standing empty for five months, and then understood as Aaron chuckled.

"Then it looks like we're neighbors." _'Thank you, Fate!'_


	19. Mrs Garrington

Chapter Nineteen: Mrs. Garrington

"Oh… my," a silver-haired woman whispered as she peaked through the lace curtain, shamelessly watching the boy walk his companion to the front step, and kiss her hand like a gentleman.

"Until tomorrow, then?"

"Yeah. I'll see you, Aaron."

The blonde youth nodded, and started walking across the street. Hurriedly, the silver-haired woman and her companion sat at the small table again, and raised the porcelain teacups to their lips as the front door started to unlock.

"This really is an excellent blend, Naoko. How did your daughter make it again?"

"I have no clue. She keeps doing different things whenever I try to watch her. But then again, her blend has never tasted the same twice."

The door opened and closed.

"I'm home! Are you, Mom?"

"Yes, honey. Come here, I want you to meet someone."

The elder woman bit back a wave of excitement as the young lady entered the living area, and stopped dead in her tracks. The girl looked at the older woman with astonishment. Her large caramel eyes flicked once to the window that faced the street, and the moving trucks.

"Let me guess, Mom. This is your new business associate, Mrs. Garrington?"

The elderly woman's green eyes sparkled as she held out her teacup in tribute to the young woman.

"You were right, Naoko, she's pretty smart. You have quite a wonderful blend, dear."

The brunette nodded numbly as she maneuvered herself around her mother's bags in order to kiss the redhead's cheek.

"Thank you, Ma'am. Your son is in my class."

"He's behaving himself?" the eldest woman asked sternly.

"Nothing but the perfect gentleman. I have a bunch of homework, Mom, so call if you need help with dinner." The brunette hugged her mother once more, bowed politely to her friend, and started the trek up the stairs.

As soon as they could hear the door shut, the two women turned to each other once more.

"I should probably head home," the visitor said regretfully. "Aaron gets so worried when I'm not where he thinks I'd be."

Naoko nodded, but smiled widely.

"I really think that our families should get together for a small party welcoming you into the neighborhood. Do you think your son will come?"

The blue-eyed woman laughed warmly as she stood up, tall and proud.

"I doubt he'll make _too _many objections. I can count all the girls he's walked home on one hand." She giggled again as the brown-eyed woman walked her to the door.

"In fact, I can count the total of girls on one _finger_."

ooOoo

Aaron wove through the various rooms of his new home, trying to find his mother through all of the boxes and moving men. But, for some strange reason, she was nowhere to be found.

"Excuse me," he asked the next man who walk through the front door with a huge box. "Would you happen to know where my mother is?"

The man didn't answer, but managed to jerk his head across the street. The blonde looked out the door, and managed to see through all the moving people that the woman in question was bidding farewell to a redheaded woman that had to be Haru's mother, since he almost thought that it was the young lady herself.

His dear old mother seemed happier than she had been in a long time, actually whistling as she approached the new home. Aaron smiled a little wickedly, and ducked behind a wall so he could surprise her, being in a playful mood himself.

He could hear her familiar footsteps as her feet hit the wooden floor, which was still a bit thick with dust.

"How close are you, Mr. Tashi?"

"Only a couch and a dresser after this load, Mrs. Garrington. I've been keeping a whip on my boys."

"That's wonderful," she sighed happily, opening her pocketbook. The crew leader accepted the check, the last of the cargo was placed in their respective spots, and the men left in the empty trucks.

Without warning, a strong pair of arms wrapped around the woman from behind, and squeezed warmly. The elderly lady gasped, not used to her son having such a playful side.

"I see you've already made a friend, Mother," he said, chuckling a bit. The silver-haired woman laughed, and turned around in order to squeeze her son.

"And I saw that _you_ made one as well, son of mine. I'm guessing that you're no longer angry at me for making you move all the way to Japan now?"

"I was never angry," he protested. "I knew how important this was to you, and that I would need to cope with what needed to happen." He looked out the window to the house across the street and grinned. "Granted, I wasn't expecting to meet someone like Haru, especially so quickly, but I'm not about to start complaining about the benefit. Mother, you won't believe what happened today…"

ooOoo

Haru collapsed on her bed, shell-shocked.

'_I honestly thought that human guys like Baron didn't exist. But apparently, they do.'_

But the appearance of the mysterious Aaron was hitting just a little too close to the mark. Her heart began to pound louder, and she wished to know what to make of this new development, especially with all the other pressures that were on her.

'_I think Baron would approve of Aaron, if he ever saw him.' _A few tears squeezed past her guard, making her cover her face in grief. _'I __**want**__ to stay loyal to Baron, but what's the point if a relationship can never work, and I'm only a friend to him anyway?'_

Haru allowed herself five minutes to cry over her impossible love. There was much left to do, and she didn't have a whole lot of time for herself anymore.

The schoolwork came first, although there was thankfully little of it, being the first day of the new semester. Then she studied the script for the play until her mother called her down for dinner.

Wishing for as much time as possible with the manuscript, the brunette chose not to tell her mother about the book, or even about the play she was being forced to participate in.

Walking back up to her room, she sighed sadly while retrieving the handmade book from its hiding place.

'_If I had waited to answer Rosemary until after I graduated, I know I'd be loving how my life's going right now. But I can't let it be about what I want anymore. Rosemary's counting on me.'_

Clicking her pen, Haru started writing once more.


	20. In the Meantime

Chapter Twenty: In the Meantime

The night had closed in around him, thick and oppressing. The only thing that could hope to pierce through this darkness was the sharp pain in his leg.

Rowan groaned with displeasure as he reluctantly awoke. Rosemary hadn't left his side, or so he supposed, since she was in the exact same position next to him as when she had given him the medicine to help him sleep. The raven-haired beauty that he had worshiped for years looked a little tired, and there were some obvious signs that life hadn't been the best for her since their last true meeting, but she was smiling softly at him, relief clear on her fair face.

"How are you feeling, love?" she asked softly, her glorious dark eyes filled with genuine concern. He groaned again, trying to raise himself to a sitting position.

"Besides tired, hurt, hungry, and wanting to kill myself for betraying you, I'm not so bad."

His beloved sighed tiredly.

"Rowan, I thought we've been through this. _It wasn't your fault. _It was Brimstone's."

The man began to shake uncontrollably, and a few tears squeezed past his guard that weren't from his leg.

"How can you stand _looking _at me?" he whispered, turning away from his princess, guilt tearing him apart. Something flashed golden before his eyes, forcing the man to close them.

"Rosemary is correct, Rowan. Time is of the essence, and we have a long way to go with you, both physically and mentally."

The dark-haired youth opened his eyes once more, a little surprised to see the cat creature standing in the mouth of the cave change from wood to flesh, turning so that the slanted green eyes could lock with his blue ones. The tall feline smiled grimly, and rubbed the hilt of Rowan's sword in one hand as he placed his own cane aside.

"I can understand that your soul's in turmoil right now, but there's only so far you can take your self-pity before I start taking steps. You weren't brought back to wallow in your own guilt, Rowan. You've got a job to do, and we both know what that job is."

The small speech had managed to weasel its way through the knight's ears and into his mind, bringing some of his common sense back.

"Who, and what, are you?" Rowan whispered. The cat chuckled lightly as he looked over the sword in his hand.

"I am called Baron Humbert von Gikkingen, but most people seem to prefer calling me 'Baron'. I am a wooden statuette that can come to life when the occasion demands it, and I'm here to ensure that you destroy Brimstone as soon as your leg heals from the wound I gave you. No offense about trying to kill you, by the way." The cat gave a courteous nod to the opening. "My companions are out scouting and finding food, so you'll be meeting them in the near future as well."

"They like to fight a lot, but that's normal for them," Rosemary added, fishing around her sack for something to feed her beloved with. But the dark youth's eyes were for his sword, which the Creation was polishing.

"Why do you have my sword?" he asked, dearly wishing to feel the cool metal against his palms again. In essence, he wasn't truly whole unless his blade was either strapped to his side or in his hands.

"I'm keeping it for you," the strange creature said, pocketing the handkerchief. "When you can win it back from me, you'll be ready for Brimstone."

"But-"

"No buts," Baron said firmly. "You can't use this blade in your condition, and there's a fair chance that we'll be found by Brimstone's soldiers before your wounds have healed. There's precious little to be gained for your cause for Haru to bring you back if you get killed by your stubbornness."

The knight was about to protest, but the new name had caught his attention.

"Who's Haru?"

"The new seeress," Rosemary informed him, warming a bowl of broth in her hands with her power, so she could start nursing her beloved back to health. Rowan scoffed.

"That didn't work out too well the first time, Rosemary. And how could someone else hope to finish what your Hatachi started? Maybe this Haru will die on us too-"

Baron marched up to the young man and helped himself to a big fistful of the man's black shirt, lifting the man a foot off of the soft moss to get his point across.

"Don't you _ever _say that again," he hissed angrily as his heart froze from the idea. "Haru never breaks a promise, and she will not back down from her goal, even if worse comes to worse. If it wasn't for her, you'd still be Shadow, so I'd watch what I'd say about her if I were you."

"Baron, calm down," Rosemary said a little nervously, placing her hand over the half-cat's fist. "He doesn't know Haru, so how can he know better?"

Growling a bit, the orange and cream cat released his captive to stand watch at the mouth of the cave once more. He thought the excuse was a pitiful one, but chose to let the offense lie.

Rowan shakily turned to his princess.

"I take it he's close to this Haru?"

The raven-haired girl sighed, and started feeding her beloved.

"I'm trying to think of a way that he can be, but it's a little tricky. I could switch the species of a mortal easily, but eternal life is a gift that I could never hope to grant or take away."

Still puzzled, Rowan looked at the cat creature again. Although his hands were gloved, the knight was betting that the grip on his sword was white-knuckled as the Creation struggled with his emotions.

Baron knew what he and Haru felt for each other was pointless. Having known that from the start, the feline lord couldn't even bring himself to tell the brunette the truth about what he felt, since it would only make their inevitable separation harder. It was a cycle he had seen more than once.

Right now, she was a young woman, just waiting for her chance to make an impression on the world. Once she graduated, she would go to college to pursue her dream of becoming a children's librarian. Chances were, she would meet someone at college, or perhaps a little later, that would be able to make her smile like he did. After that would come marriage, children, and then grandchildren.

And when it was time for her to leave this world, old, wrinkled, and surrounded by an adoring family, he would be exactly the same as he was today. She would have kept him a secret from her family, or have chosen to tell a select few about him.

He would never change. The Baron Humbert von Gikkingen would always be exactly the same as he was the day his creator had finished him in his little workshop. Baron was well aware that there were many who would love to have his problem. Having everlasting life while retaining a youthful vigor had been a sought-after prize since the world began.

And, if he could just figure out a way to do it, he would gladly trade his immortal life for that of a mortal. He had often wondered what it would be like to age and change, but those thoughts had never consumed him the way they had after meeting the lovable brunette. The adventure they had shared in the Cat Kingdom had proven that change could do a lot to a person, even if it wasn't physical, and Haru was all the better because of it.

If he could only share a lifetime with her, as an ordinary mortal, he would never ask for anything again.

But he couldn't. Baron literally had no choice but to allow Haru to find another love, and live until she died.

And he would be alone once more.

Before he could break down in front of the royal couple, he changed into wood so that his violent emotions could take full swing without anyone the wiser.

'_Maybe it would be for the best, if I __**never**__ returned to Haru.'_


	21. Practice, Practice, Practice

Chapter Twenty One: Practice, Practice, Practice

Haru was in lower spirits the next day, since her mother had caught her writing instead of sleeping, and she hadn't been able to write more than a paragraph, thanks to her exhaustion and writer's block.

'_There has got to be a better way to manage my time. Baron and Rosemary are counting on me, and I refuse to let them down.'_

"All right, everyone. Let's practice the scene just before the father leaves on his trip. Does anyone need help with their lines?" the sensei asked as a few of the students gathered on the stage.

"What lines?" Hiromi asked, waving the script around, and fighting back her wig's almost violent bounce. "There are a lot of suggestions in here, but not a whole lot of actual lines."

"I already explained, Hiromi," Takima-sensei sighed tiredly. "I based roles off of people who are naturally like the characters in the story. The script is just supposed to give you an idea of where we want to go, and just be yourself. That way we won't have to worry about messing up specific lines, and no one has to study their parts as long."

"I'm all for that plan," Haru murmured, setting her script under the chair while blowing the long hairs of her wig away from her face. Having grown up around domestic arts, she decided to stick her feet out a little, and start moving her feet up and down, like she was working a treadle. One hand appeared to be doing a twisting motion while the other was kept busy, pulling at something unseen from the other hand.

"What on earth are you doing, Haru?" Yosho asked, setting his own script underneath his chair.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm spinning wool for yarn. If we're a typical merchant family that lost its fortune and got forced to move to the countryside, wouldn't you say that your daughters would have to learn how to make warm winter clothing?"

"Just where are we going to get a spinning wheel, Haru?" the teacher protested, making the brunette shrug a little tiredly.

"My mom has one. I'd have to oil and dust it a bit, but-"

"It'll just add clutter," Chika announced, finished with sketching notes on her script. Unlike the other two, her wig's black hair was as straight as paper, and the girl wasn't about to sacrifice her glasses for the play. "We'd only be using it for one or two scenes, and there's enough stuff for the stagehands to move around between scenes without adding something as fragile and valuable as a spinning wheel."

The brunette sighed, and brought her hands together to start moving her hands away and close to each other in small short movements.

"Now I'm knitting. Better?"

"Yes," Hiromi said, sighing with relief. "It's all well and good to make you more noticeable than Chika and me, but a spinning wheel would be pushing it a bit." The redhead stood up, and held a pencil between her hands. With long swift strokes, she pretended to sweep the stage clean as Chika blinked behind her glasses. Haru looked up, and noticed her discomfort. Chika's strength was in collecting information, not acting, which was why she got one of the smaller parts.

"Sister dear, would you be kind enough to add some wood to the fire?" the brunette suggested, gesturing to the empty space between herself and the guy pretending to be their father, who was pretending to carve at a piece of wood. Grateful for the task, Chika walked to behind Yosho's chair, and started picking up imaginary logs.

"Good, good," Sensei Takima approved, sitting herself down in the front aisle of the school auditorium. "Start the scene whenever you feel like it, Tsuge."

The rock-built brunette nodded, but chose to wait a little longer before knocking at an imaginary door, stomping on the concrete floor to make the knocking sounds. Aaron watched calmly from the sidelines as Yosho got up to answer the 'door', and take the blank piece of paper that was supposed to say that one of the family ships had returned after all.

Hiromi was nearly jumping up and down in her fake excitement.

"I can go to balls again, and all the young men will want to marry me!"

Chika was trying hard to look happy, but her glasses made facial expressions a little harder to tell on her.

"I can resume my education!"

Haru smiled, wondering what she could say. In the original version, both of the sisters loved parties, and Beauty was the only one that loved knowledge. How was she going to work with this?"

"I can start helping other people again," she said, glowing happily at the thought. It would stand to reason that she would have to spend more time with her family under such dire circumstances, if she really was Beauty. Hiromi scoffed in a laughing manner at Haru's word choice.

"Like you ever stopped," she accused.

"Now now, girls," Yosho said, folding up the 'letter' and sticking it in his breast pocket excitedly. "Let's not have any bickering. This is the day when we change our lives around for the better." He threw an imaginary cloak around his shoulders with a flourish. "Now, what gifts would my girls like when I get back from checking the ship, now that we're rich again?"

"Oh please, Father," Hiromi begged, hanging from an arm like a child. "A pretty new dress? One with lots of ribbons and bows?"

"Of course, Joy…" Yosho floundered, since he wasn't used to being jumped on by girls. The next girl was a bit more controlled than her supposed sister.

"Can I have a new book, Father?" Chika asked. "A nice thick one?"

"Of course, Prudence. And you, Beauty?" Yosho asked, managing to reclaim his arm from Hiromi's grasp so that Tsuge wouldn't kill him later.

Haru sat back in her chair, and pretended to pick up her knitting again, lost in thought.

"I can't think of anything, Father. I'll be satisfied with your safe return."

"Show off," Hiromi grumbled, getting Yosho to shush her.

"Come now, Beauty, surely there's some small trinket I can get for you?" he was almost begging her with his eyes to step in. "Jewelry of some kind, or maybe a flower?"

Haru snapped up, like the line had caught her attention.

"Now that you mention it, Father, I've missed roses terribly since we moved out here. Some seeds or perhaps a bud would do nicely, if you can manage it."

"Consider it done," Yosho proclaimed, stepping out the door. "Now you three behave while I'm gone, you hear?"

"Yes, Father," the three girls in unison as the taller student walked off the stage.

"Perfect!" Sensei Takima said, jumping out of her chair and clapping like a madwoman, something she was doing more and more often, as far as Aaron could tell. "Stay close to what you said right there, and this scene will be a hit! Okay, let's try the scene at the docks."

Hiromi and Haru immediately grabbed the two chairs and got off the stage, so that the majority of the class could take over as ordinary townspeople and sailors. Aaron firmly took the seat Haru was holding and placed it neatly behind her, so she could sit down.

"You did well," he complimented as the lovely brunette took the offered seat.

"Thank you," she answered, silently wishing that practice would wrap up soon. And yet, at the same time, she _didn't _want it to end. Stealing Hatachi's heart back would prove to be a tricky thing to pull off, and she still had no clue on how to write it out after Rowan finished healing. There was only so many ways that she could drag _that _out without compromising the story. She watched the parade of people in front of her, silently commanding inspiration to come forth.

Without warning, warm hands began rubbing her back. The brunette yelped and shot up straight, making the blonde behind her laugh warmly.

"Relax, Haru. It's not supposed to hurt, and you seem on edge today."

Slowly, the brunette's heart began its former pace, and she leaned over a bit, wiping the long hairs of her wig around one shoulder so that Aaron's gentle hands wouldn't get tangled in the soft strands.

No one had ever given her a back rub before, and she would have been lying if she had tried to say that she wasn't enjoying it. Haru sighed happily, and let the golden youth gently rub her troubles away, fighting only her urge to purr.

While rubbing her slender shoulders, Aaron looked up and noticed that nearly everyone was watching him. And there were many that didn't look too happy about what he was doing.

The first guy that had threatened him, Machida, was making violent threatening gestures with his hands, his dark eyes lit with fury. The blonde smiled, a little amused that the rival was still voiceless.

"_Bring it on,"_ Aaron mouthed, smiling wickedly.


	22. An Afternoon Picnic

Sorry for updating late, but Christmas Eve was, well, BUSY! I hope everyone has a very merry Christmas, and that they enjoy the latest updates.

Oh, and to Nonimouse; the reason I can update so quickly is because all the stories I post on the web are completely written and beta-ed a couple times before I share them a chapter at a time over the website. I hope that answers your question, and thanks for reading.

Chapter Twenty Two: An Afternoon Picnic

"Hurry, honey!" Naoko called to her daughter while mixing a salad. "We don't want to keep the Garringtons waiting, now do we?"

Haru sighed, pouring her tea blend into a nice pitcher that they only used for special occasions.

"Of course not, Mom. I still wish you would give me more notice about when you volunteer my time."

The redhead laughed a little angrily.

"Call it my revenge for not telling me about the play. How could you have forgotten to tell me that you're the star?"

Naoko's new best friend had been the one to spill the beans this time, although Aaron's mother was incredulous that Naoko hadn't already known about the play, all things considered. The slim brunette scowled at the memory of the tirade following the little revelation, brushing away the long strands that seemed to gravitate to her face. Ever since Takima-sensei had made that blasted phone call last week, Haru was only free of the wig when she was asleep. She couldn't understand everyone's fascination with her having long hair, and a small part of her didn't wish to. After the play was over, she could be herself again.

Carefully picking up the glass pitcher, which was filled with an iced version of her personal blend, the teenager followed her mother out the door and across the street.

It was theoretically a party to welcome the newcomers into the neighborhood, but Haru wasn't exactly blind to the fact that her family was the only one extending a friendly hand, at least in this fashion.

The Yoshioka girls would have come over sooner, but the Garringtons had wanted some time to turn their house into a home before inviting other people in, and who could really blame them?

The brunette and redhead didn't have to knock on the front door, since Mrs. Garrington was apparently lying in wait for them. The elderly woman opened the door, beaming brightly.

"Please come in, Naoko, Haru. We've been waiting for you. My, that wig _does _suit you, dear."

"Thank you, Mrs. Garrington. You're looking well," Haru added politely.

"Just call me Emily, dear. Well, let's not keep Aaron waiting. He's been planning the menu for about two weeks."

"Wait, he _cooks_?" Naoko asked, amazed. The woman laughed while leading the two visitors through the parlor and down a long hallway.

"Oh, yes. He's taken two years of chef training, and he enjoys doing it, so I go ahead and leave him in charge of meals. But you knew he could cook, didn't you, Haru?"

"We occasionally switch lunches at school," the brunette said truthfully. "My best friend's having a nervous breakdown about it. I think she's addicted to my personal tea blend."

"And who wouldn't be?" the silver-haired woman asked, laughing merrily. "I know _I've _made one or two excuses to visit Naoko after you make a fresh batch."

Haru bit her lip.

"I had to make it three times over before coming over. For some strange reason, the blend kept turning out wrong."

"Well, everyone has their off days, dear," Emily said comfortingly, opening a glass door to the back yard. Aaron was setting some sandwiches down on a white and red plaid blanket stretched over, but looked up at seeing the three women walk through the door. His eyes glowed warmly as he stood up respectfully.

"I just finished taking things out. Please, have a seat." He gestured to the rather large blanket, which had a square flat stone in the middle of it. As Haru approached the tawny young man, he gently but firmly took the tall pitcher from the brunette, and placed it carefully on the stone, to give it a firm place to be.

"Just a precaution," Aaron said, his green eyes still on the brunette as she chose one corner of the blanket to sit down in after helping to find a place for the salad.

It was a pleasant picnic between good friends. Aaron had outdid himself with small delicate sandwiches, and exquisitely carved fruits and cheeses. The conversations varied everywhere between difficulties at work, or which went better with iced tea; butter cookies or snicker doodles.

It was well after dark by the time Naoko and her daughter trudged across the street to their own home; the redhead carrying an empty bowl and the brunette cradling the glass pitcher in her arms. The little tea that had been left, she had allowed Aaron to keep. He couldn't get enough of the stuff.

And she was tired, so tired…

The brunette helped her mother clean the few dishes that were there, hugged the redhead goodnight, and limped up to her room. For some reason as of late, she didn't have a lot of energy for anything, and what energy she _did _have was usually spent on practicing the dance scene with Aaron.

She struggled through her remaining homework, wishing that finals were over and done with. At this rate, she would break down crying right in the middle of class.

A shaky hand answered the last question, and slowly closed the book shut. Haru sighed with relief, but then remembered that she had but one more task to complete before hitting the sack.

With feet as heavy as lead, the slim brunette stood up from her desk, and turned to the knitting basket that held the concealed manuscript. She raised one foot to step around the large the large stuffed animal between her and her goal, but then her other ankle collapsed on her, sending her face first into her bed.

She lay there, crying like a frustrated child as she struggled to rise again. But sleep claimed her before the slim brunette could take such action.

'_I'm so sorry, Baron, Rosemary. Why am I not strong enough?'_

ooOoo

Aaron, on the other hand, was in bright spirits the next day as he politely knocked on the Yoshioka door.

"Haru! Aaron's here!" Naoko shouted from inside. The blonde smiled warmly, and waited calmly. The minutes began to tick by.

"Haru?! Why are you still in bed?!" her mother shrieked loud enough for the schoolboy to hear her.

The young man winced as several violent sounds began at one window, and trailed down the house until resting on the other side of the door which flew open, revealing a sleepy-eyed brunette being pushed into his arms by her mother, her bag following soon after. Aaron managed to catch both, although he was taken aback by the suddenness of the harsh actions. Naoko's eyes were nearly on fire, but they softened a bit as she smiled at the boy.

"It's a good thing you're walking her to and from school now, or she might try to go back to her old ways."

"No I won't," Haru mumbled, taking her bag from the blonde and walking away while fixing her wig to a proper position on her head. "I just forgot to set my alarm clock, that's all."

A little concerned by her tone, Aaron bowed to her mother politely before jogging a bit in order to catch up with the brunette, who was slapping herself in the face.

"Please don't do that, Haru," he begged, catching one hand before she could hit herself again.

"I'm just trying to wake myself up, Aaron." She sighed tiredly as he linked arms with her, as usual. "I just feel really weird."

"How weird?" he asked, tightening his grip on her slightly. Those large caramel orbs, so well-trained in fading worlds away, did so once more. She shivered a little, although the weather was warming up a bit, and clung to him, resting her forehead on his shoulder.

"Like I'm trying to please everyone, and forgetting what's really important to me."


	23. A Shocking Surprise

Chapter Twenty Three: A Shocking Surprise

After _that _comment, Aaron made sure to keep her in his sight as much as possible at school. He doubted anyone would notice, since he was a constant presence at her side anyway.

Her eyes didn't quite come back to earth for the entire school day, and he had been obliged to gently kick one of her feet more than once so that she would stay awake through the lectures. The slim brunette sent him thankful looks, but there was an undercurrent of anger for the interrupted naps.

Haru completely skipped on lunch, choosing to use the time to catch up on her sleep.

Hiromi looked at her best friend, sipping the personal blend straight from the thermos.

"What's wrong with her, Aaron? It seems like every time I blink, she has less and less energy."

The blonde sighed, tying the rest of his lunch up, just in case the girl was hungry when she woke up.

"I think she's trying to do too many things in a limited amount of time. Finals alone are hard enough, but with the play and our mothers manipulating our personal lives…"

"Not to mention that blasted story she's been trying to write." The redhead took a big swig of the tea before speaking again. "Frankly, I think it would be smarter for her to put that project aside until after we graduate. The play's a month away, but there's no way that she'll be a convincing actress if she's staying up all hours of the night writing a book she didn't even start."

"Not happening," Haru grumbled, half asleep. "That story's going to be done before the play is, even if it kills me."

"That could be the problem," Aaron said gently, rubbing her back again through the wig. "Maybe it _is _killing you."

Her dark eyes came back to earth for a brief instant, but then faded away. She yawned before going back to sleep.

"Then so be it."

ooOoo

"She did _not_ say that," Takima-sensei hissed. Hiromi nodded, looking over her best friend as one of the seamstresses tried her ball gown on her. It was a bright yellow color, with glitter meshed right into the top layer of fabric to make the girl sparkle.

"She _did_, Sensei. I tried talking to her, but she's being a little more stubborn than usual. Haru's dead set on finishing that stupid book, even if it means sacrificing the play in order to do it."

The woman growled, and walked past the redhead in order to march up to the star of the show, who was nearly falling asleep standing up.

"Haru, I need to talk with you immediately."

The brunette's eyes snapped open, and she suppressed a yawn.

"What about?"

"You have a lot of people depending on you, Haru. Everyone here is putting in a lot of effort to make this play our best yet."

The brunette sighed angrily.

"Look, I'm studying the lines, I'm in character 24/7, and I'm even spending time with the male lead so we can have a convincing link. What more do you want from me?"

The drama teacher leaned in a bit, and tilted the girl's chin up enough so that they could lock eyes.

"I want 100%, Haru. I want you to be completely devoted to the play, and your assignment."

The brunette nearly started crying.

"What about finals? Don't they matter?"

"Of course they do. But finals alone don't leave girls too exhausted to even stand without help. I'm talking about this book of yours."

That immediately put the girl on her guard, sending a glare to her best friend.

"How much did she tell you about that?"

"That it's more important to you than the play."

"Easily. I'm still working the kinks out of my schedule, that's all," the brunette tried to assure her sensei.

"No, no, no! Haru, the _play's _the most important thing to you! The stupid book can wait until afterward!"

"It's been waiting long enough," the brunette said between her teeth, feeling her familiar temper start to rise. "You have no right to order me to stop writing."

"How about I call your mother, young lady?!"

"Feel free. She won't be able to help you, though. I hid it too…" Her voice trailed off, staring at something over the sensei's shoulder with open-mouthed shock. Wondering what could have struck the slim girl speechless, the teacher turned around, and beamed.

"You look wonderful, Aaron! That mask is a very nice touch, wouldn't you say, Haru?"

The sparkling girl looked like she was forgetting to breathe, turning paler by the second.

It was impossible to tell if Aaron was smiling at her again. The costumer had had a bit of trouble with his head, since make-up alone wouldn't have given the desired effect. Instead, he was wearing a mask of orange and cream velvet to mimic fur, with wire lining it to ensure that the feline features would maintain their hold. The eyes were a very fine green mesh fabric that closely matched the actor's true eye color, so that he could still see. The mouth had been crafted a little open, so that Aaron could breath and speak his lines clearly.

He was also in a light gray suit, complete with silk hat and cane, which he rubbed nervously. Did she spy a velvet rope behind him, for a tail?

"Please, say something, Haru," the tall blonde said nervously. The brunette still wasn't breathing.

"Who…" she whispered. "Who thought of your costume?"

"You did!" Hiromi sang out, pleased that it had captured her attention so completely. "Sakura didn't have a clue on how to design Beast, so I gave her one of the pages from your sketchbook. She took it and ran with it."

The girl in question peaked from behind the curtain nervously.

"Do you like it, Haru?" she asked nervously. The brunette started breathing short shallow breaths.

"You… _tore_… a page from my sketchbook?" she whispered, trying to keep the tears at bay. "You couldn't even ask for permission?"

"Haru, this is for the play-" the redhead said before the brunette stormed up and grabbed her by the shoulders.

"Do you have any idea what those sketches mean to me?!" she demanded. "Do you have any idea what I poured into them?! You should know better than to take something like that without permission! How could you?!" Tears were now freely running down her face as she shook her friend a bit. Sakura looked like she had been slapped in the face.

"But, I worked so hard on it."

Haru dropped Hiromi like a sack of potatoes.

"I can tell. I was almost fooled into thinking that it was real. But still, next time I have something that you want, you should ask. You should always ask!"

"Now dear, you're overreacting," Takima-sensei tried to say soothingly while touching the girl's arm, but she pulled away angrily.

"No I'm not!" she shouted, unintentionally drawing the attention of everyone in the room that wasn't already watching her. "I don't care what the cause is, you shouldn't take things people work hard on without permission! You should never-"

She suddenly cut off as her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed unconscious on the hard floor.


	24. Priorities

Chapter Twenty Four: Priorities

_Haru was inside a pool of darkness, unable to see a thing. All she could tell was that she was surrounded by water, and she was sinking to the bottom. Her limbs were as heavy as lead, and she couldn't move a single inch. She couldn't even breathe._

_From her side, a voice came. Takima-sensei's._

"_The play should be your main concern, Haru."_

_A new voice appeared from the other side. Her mother's._

"_No. Haru, Aaron's a nice guy, and you two make such a cute couple. Why do you keep insisting he's just a friend?"_

"_Haru," Rosemary whispered. "Why have you forgotten me, and your promise? What about Brimstone and my kingdom?"_

"_Forget the stupid book! How do you expect to graduate if you keep falling asleep in class?!" Hiromi shrieked at her accusingly._

_Another voice appeared, and broke the poor girl's heart._

"_I have come to expect more from you, Miss Haru. I'm most disappointed."_

"I'm so sorry, Baron," she sobbed, breaking free from the nightmare. A cool hand rested on her forehead.

"Wake up, Haru. You're having a nightmare."

Her large brown eyes shot open, to see Nurse Hashiki looking down at her, eyes filled with concern. The brunette groaned tiredly.

"A bad one." She struggled to get up, but the nurse gently pressed her back down on the cot.

"You might want to take it easy. Aaron was very concerned, when he brought you here," the elderly nurse said softly, soothingly.

Slowly, the brunette's memory of what had happened returned, making the tears return with a vengeance.

"Hiromi _knew _how much I loved my sketchbook. How could she just rip a page out without a word? Would it have been too much trouble to ask me for a copy?"

"I don't know, dear, but it might be a good idea to keep it home, so it doesn't get further molested." The nurse sighed, and pulled up a chair. "There were a lot of people that wanted to talk to you when you woke up, but I think it's important that I get to you first. Haru, this is the first time you've visited me in months."

The brunette cringed.

"Did you want me to drop by more?"

"That's not what I meant," the nurse laughed. "I meant you've been getting into fewer accidents, and you've been more thoughtful, more mature. I thought the change was wonderful, but now you're starting to backslide. Takima-sensei brushed it off as 'senioritis', but I think it's more than that. Please tell me what's wrong, Haru."

The slim brunette brushed away the tears of sorrow, to replace them with tears of relief.

"Well, to start off with, Takima-sensei's making me be the star of the play when I wanted a small part, because I swore to a friend that I would finish a time-consuming task before the semester ends. On top of that, a really sweet guy moved in across the street and wants to sweep me off my feet figuratively as well as literally, except I'm in love with someone that could be his twin, and my crush is one of the people depending on me to finish the task I can't really talk about. Finals are coming up and Mom's pressuring me into spending more time with Aaron when I'm already exhausted with trying to keep up with rehearsals and homework. I'm lucky if I can squeeze a moment from a week to work on the project for my friend. Everyone wants me to devote myself completely to their different causes, and I'm starting to feel like I'm fading away, and no one will care as long as they get what they want out of me."

Nurse Hashiki's mouth was open in astonishment.

"Well, that would be a lot for anyone to handle. Have you tried explaining your busy schedule to everyone?"

"Yes, but Mom and Takima-sensei refuse to listen, and they're the ones that have the biggest hold on me right now." The slim brunette curled up in a fetal position. "I wish there was a way that I can please everyone and still have something left afterward."

The nurse blinked, and then smiled. She sighed, and started rubbing the girl's slender shoulder.

"Haru, there's a little something you should know. No matter how hard you try, someone's not going to be pleased with you. You're killing yourself over things that aren't going to matter in a few months time, let alone a few years. Try something for me; ten years from now, what are you going to regret not doing, out of everything that's being demanded of you right now?"

Haru bit her lip, and let her mind wander. Ten years from now, she would be a librarian. It's possible that she would be married at that point, maybe even have a kid or two. She would need a college degree to become a librarian, and she would need someone to share her life with, in order to-

'_Baron.'_

Her mind dissolved from the pretty picture it was trying to create. Her beloved cat doll. Would he ever make it back to this world? Would she ever see him again?

Would she be able to look at him, after the lousy job she's been doing lately with writing Rosemary's story? The princess was depending on her, the entire kingdom of Malgea was counting on her. And they had been waiting for their happily ever after for long enough.

"I… I think I see what you mean," Haru whispered. The nurse beamed.

"Have you figured out what's truly important to you?"

"Yes," Haru said, more firmly than she thought she could.

"Good. Sometimes, you have to let those smaller dreams go, in order to attack what's going to matter to you years from now," The nurse said softly, touching one of the brunette's shoulders in a comforting manner. Haru stood up from the cot, the fire back in her eyes.

"You're right!" She glomped the nurse, and held her tight. "Thank you, Nurse Hashiki. You have no clue how much you helped me just now."

The elderly nurse squeezed the girl back, relieved to see a smile once more.

"But first things first, Haru. Go home and rest. I'll tell your teachers that you need a little break, and then you'll get back on track."

Haru nodded, her eyes sparkling with renewed life. Looking down, she realized that she was still in the ball gown, and the wig was still letting its long locks fall over her shoulders. She laughed, and hugged the nurse once more before walking out of her office.

Aaron was leaning against the wall next to the door, a bit startled when the brunette came out.

"Haru, if my outfit bothers you that much-"

She covered the muzzle of his mask, beaming.

"Actually, it doesn't bother me that you're wearing it. I'm just irritated that Hiromi violated my trust the way she did."

Aaron cocked his head at her, and removed the cat head as they walked down the halls.

"Violated your trust?" he asked. She nodded.

"She knew full well how precious each and every page in my sketchbook is to me, and she didn't bother to ask for a copy. I probably would have even said yes, if she had asked, but to just take something without permission is inexcusable."

He could see that she meant every word, and was more than a little intimidated by the renewed fire in her eyes.

"What are you going to do?" he asked, wondering if he should tell Hiromi to run for cover.

"First, I'm going to get into my school clothes, and go home. Then, I'm going to pass out in my bed." The brunette grinned evilly.

"And when I wake up, I'm going to take back control of _my_ life."


	25. A Flight into the Night

Chapter Twenty Five: A Flight Into the Night

Haru was good on her word, and slept deeply until well-after midnight. Naoko had wanted to speak to her about collapsing in school, especially since Aaron had carried her part of the way home, but was content with Haru's promise to straighten out her life.

When the fair brunette finally woke up, it was good and dark both outside and inside. She smiled warmly, and slipped out of her bed. After closing her drapes, she turned on the light, and dressed in some black sweats to protect her from the night chill. Some sifting around her closet produced a large tote bag, which Haru hoped would suit her needs, despite the pastel flower print.

Into the bag, she carefully loaded the manuscript, padded between spare clothes. She threw in a good fistful of pens, as well as a few personals. With a heavy heart, she dumped out her life's savings from the plain wooden box she usually hid under her bed, so that she could count it out.

Yes, that should be enough, if she used it wisely. She put a portion of it in her pants pocket, and the rest of it deep in the tote.

Shouldering the tote, she looked around the room, wondering when she would see it again. On an impulse, she grabbed the sketchbook, and slipped it into the bag as well.

Certain that she now had everything she needed, Haru wrote a short and slightly bittersweet note for her mother, and left it on her pillow. She walked out of her room, and shut off the light so that her mother wouldn't notice anything. On light and steady footsteps, the slim brunette carefully made her way down the staircase, and into the kitchen. She filled three water bottles, and helped herself to a box of granola bars.

Her heart began to beat faster, thinking about what she was about to do. There was a good chance that she would never be forgiven for it, and that it would take the rest of her life to earn back the trust she was planning to break.

But there was something far more important than a play, a high school diploma, or even a wonderful boyfriend. And she had been distracted from that for far too long.

With a heavy heart, the brunette, unlocked the front door, and slipped out of it, locking it behind her, so she wouldn't arouse suspicion.

Readjusting the straps on her shoulder, the girl began at a brisk walk, and then a run. But she was on hyper-alert, in case night people were lurking around. Her heart seemed to pound louder and louder in her ears, screaming at her to go back, back to her warm bed, and to her safe little life.

But she had come this far, and there was no turning back now. There! A gas station that was still open! She ran in, and grabbed a few boxes of energy bars, and peanuts. She paid for her purchases, and walked out the door… directly into a tall man. She bumped against his chest, and looked up to apologize. She gasped.

Aaron was glaring at her.

She gulped.

One of his feet started tapping on the concrete.

"Well?" he asked softly, but sternly. "An explanation, perhaps?"

Haru bit her lip nervously.

"I couldn't sleep, and needed some fresh air."

He hummed at her, pointedly staring at the huge bag slung over one shoulder.

"And I suppose this is added weight so that it can be more of a workout?"

"Yeah, exactly. So, uh, I'll be going now-"

"Nonsense." He opened the door so she could get out, but ran at her side as she tried to lose him. "If you wanted a midnight run, you should have someone around to ward off the riffraff. I'm insulted that you didn't invite me to come."

She cringed at his tone.

"How did you know-"

"I couldn't sleep either. But your midnight flight was a bit more interesting than polishing wood floors to pass the time."

She slowed down a bit, and looked down at her feet, feeling ashamed.

"You want a real explanation, don't you?"

"I figured you'd come around, _before _I escorted you home."

She looked over at him, feeling her temper start to rise.

"I'm not going home, at least not tonight. Or tomorrow night."

Aaron's glowing green eyes narrowed at her.

"You're running away?"

"I plan on coming back," she protested. "As soon as my task is complete."

"That book?"

"Yes."

He looked at her, his eyes sad.

"I see. You know, running from your problems won't make them go away."

"I know. That's why I'm taking care of my biggest one before the others," she retorted firmly.

He suddenly grabbed her hand, a bit fiercer than he usually did.

"I'm afraid I can't let you pursue this line of action, Haru. This will hurt far more than help."

"From your point of view, that's probably what it looks like," Haru said, pinching his hand, to try to make him let go. "I know if I was anyone else, that's what it would look like to me."

Aaron looked at her, and smiled grimly.

"All right, Haru. Tell me your point of view. What's so special about the book that you're willing to choose it over your life?"

The girl stared at him, forgetting her attempts to break free.

"You're the first person to ask that," she whispered. "At least about this."

Aaron blinked, but then smiled.

"Then humor me. What's so important about the book?"

Her heart began to speed up. Should she tell? Was it her secret to share? She bit her lip nervously.

"First, I want _you _to answer a few questions."

The blonde smiled at her, and then firmly linked their arms so they could start walking.

"Fire away."

She took a deep breath.

"Do you believe in magic?"

He quirked an eyebrow at her, but thought about it.

"I know that sometimes things happen without explanation, and science alone can't explain them. I believe that words have more power than most people are willing to give credit for, and that there are such things as miracles. Does that count?"

Haru nodded, feeling a bit braver.

"It's something to work with. Now, be as honest as you know how to. Why do you spend so much time with me?"

"Because I like you," he said without hesitation.

"But why, Aaron? Give me specifics."

He looked deep into those chocolate pools, wondering what she wanted him to say. He had to give some thought on the subject. At last, he had an answer.

"When I first saw you, you were giving Hiromi a piggy back ride. You seemed very relaxed, and content. You were courteous to everyone you spoke to, even when they started fighting with each other. You have this _aura_, Haru, that just draws me in. You're sweet, smart, and you know what you want out of life. Even when you were struggling with your duties, you were still trying to make things work, when other people would have melted long before you eventually did. When your eyes fade out, I want to know what you see. I want to know… everything I can about you." He just prayed that he was being honest enough for her.

Her eyes… there was so much conflict in them. She wanted to share something with him, he could tell, but she was scared to do it. At last, the battle within herself subsided, and she smiled at him.

"In that case, I'm going to tell you some things about me that no one knows, not even my mother. But you have to promise that you will listen to the entire story, and to not tell anyone about it."

He nodded eagerly, wrapping one arm around her shoulder to ward off the night chill.

"Tell me everything."

She sighed.

"All right. To start off with, I wasn't always confident…"


	26. Truth Revealed

Chapter Twenty Six: Truth Revealed

"Back in those days, I had a crush on Machida."

Aaron started gagging.

"Surely not!"

"My standards have gone up, okay?! I didn't know back then that he was a selfish, prideful jerk. I saw him as a handsome gentleman." Haru sighed, thinking about those days. "You keep hearing things about me being clumsy and tardy all the time, right?"

"Yes, but it's difficult to take those rumors seriously."

"They aren't rumors, Aaron. Back in those days, I was late so often that Usho-sensei could tell when I was sneaking in without turning around. I was also invisible to boys, unless I did something clumsy so they could laugh."

Aaron started shaking his head.

"I'm sorry, Haru, but this is something I can't believe about you."

"What if I told you what caused the change? Would you believe me then?"

He looked at her, but slowly nodded. Taking a deep breath, and firmly directing their route to what she wanted, she told him everything about her adventure to the Cat Kingdom. She lingered over details like her tea blend, especially when Baron came into the story. As she continued, Aaron's eyes became wider and wider.

When they reached Haru's goal, the library, the story wasn't done yet, so they sat down on the stone steps until the narrative was finished.

"… so here are these people, wallowing in grief for five years thanks to a crooked wizard that cares only for power and blood-stained earth. Their only hope for a future literally rides on how soon I can finish writing Hatachi's manuscript."

Aaron's eyes were now downcast, and he was leaning over his knees, fists clenched angrily. Haru looked up, seeing that dawn was beginning to appear.

"I know what's likely to happen if I walk away from my own life, but there is too much for Rosemary's people to lose, if I put myself before them." She sighed. "Look, I'll understand if you don't believe me-"

"Is Baron really that wonderful?" he asked, still facing the ground. Haru's heart quivered at his tone, but she wasn't one to back down.

"I used to dream that someone like Baron would come and sweep me off my feet when I was little. He's everything I could want, except I can never have him. He doesn't even like me back the way I like him. We're just friends."

"Like we are?"

"Yes." She stood up, and walked around so that she could kneel down and put one hand on his shoulder. "If circumstances were just a little different, I'd give my heart to you without thinking twice about it. But there are people that need me more than I need a sweetheart. They may be artificial souls that only live in a book, but they are still souls, and I'm going to help them, even if it means renouncing several things that I want. And… I still don't know what my feelings are for you, Aaron. I have no clue if I like you for who _you_ are, or if it's because you remind me so strongly of Baron. It wouldn't be fair for me to lead you on like that, if I'm not even sure of my own feelings. You deserve better than to be with a girl that sees you as someone else's shadow."

Aaron rested his elbows on his knees, and held his hands to his face. He started shaking uncontrollably, and she could see tears through his hands. She hugged him around the shoulders, wishing that she could just love him the way he deserved. But she was so weak, she couldn't do it.

He suddenly grabbed her by around the waist and squeezed hard, his chin on her shoulder.

"You're wrong," he choked out. "You have no clue how wrong you are, Haru."

"What do you mean?" she asked him, hugging him back. He struggled to speak through his tears.

"Baron… loves you with all his heart and soul. I _know_ he does." He could feel her light laugh brush against his golden hair.

"Aaron, there's no possible way that you could know that. You've never met him."

He looked down again, hating himself more than ever. With one hand, he slowly released the fair brunette, and fished around in his pocket.

"I don't have to." Aaron handed her the folded paper. A little confused, she opened it up. Her eyes widened.

It was her favorite sketch, the one where she was dancing with Baron again. She pressed it to her heart with trembling hands.

"Out of all the sketches Hiromi could have taken…" she muttered angrily. Aaron shook his head, tears still running down his face.

"Hiromi didn't rip that out of your sketchbook, Haru. Brimstone did."

She looked at him, not quite sure that she had heard him completely. He sighed.

"It's about time I told you the truth about what I really am, Haru. You were honest enough to me. The day Rowan was returned to the princess, Brimstone tried to rip out your heart, just like he did with Hatachi." He looked at her, a small smile showing through his grief. "But you had protection from an amulet, so he couldn't touch you. He saw your sketchbook, and that picture."

Haru stared at him, realization starting to creep in as she reached for her throat, and felt the green amulet lying underneath her thick sweater. Aaron brushed away a few tears, and nodded.

"I was born that night, from a few drops of Baron's blood that had spilled on the gold pile. A lot of Rowan's was everywhere, so it was tough to find Baron's."

Haru started shaking her head.

"No… you have a mother! You had a childhood! I saw! There were pictures everywhere in your home!"

He shook his head sadly.

"No. After Brimstone gave me life, he allowed me to name myself, and gave me enough magic so that I could provide rock-solid proof that I had never been anything more than a regular guy. My mother is actually a shadow servant that I gave enough personality to so that she seems like a real person, and put her in a situation where she could become good friends with your mother."

Haru's mind started going numb.

"You… were sent here… to _entertain_ me?"

"To win your heart," Aaron corrected, a sad smile still present. "Whoever controls the heart of the writer controls the fate of Malgea. But, there was a small flaw in Brimstone's plan." He stood up, and walked down the steps, past the brunette. She watched him go, wondering what she was supposed to do next.

When Aaron reached the base of the stairs, he looked back at her and smiled with tears in his eyes.

"The only thing Brimstone knew about Baron was what he looked like, and that you were crazy about him. He didn't even have a name to work with. As a result, I'm a complete copy of Baron's genetics, only in a human form." The look of longing in his eyes made Haru want to start crying again. He kneeled on the cold stone steps, still gazing at her.

"I was only supposed to _pretend_ to fall in love with you, but what's happening inside my heart isn't exactly acting, Haru. I really do love you. Baron's known you for much longer. There is no doubt in my mind that he worships the ground you walk on."

The slim girl started shaking her head.

"If that's true, why didn't he ever say anything?"

Aaron sighed.

"Well, if _I_ was the immortal cat doll in love with a human girl, I would want you to find someone you _can _share your life with, since only a handful of the barriers between us could ever be crossed."

Haru looked down, and studied her hand.

"That sounds like something Baron would think."

Aaron nodded, and walked up to her.

"Come along now."

She looked up at him, wondering what he wanted her to do. He smiled sadly.

"You want to break into the library and go to Hatachi's secret place, don't you? It's probably the only place in Tokyo that absolutely no living person knows about, so it would be the safest place to finish writing the book, wouldn't it?"

Haru nodded, and got to her feet.

"The key Rosemary led me to was a skeleton one. I just hope that the locks hadn't been changed in the past fifty years."

Aaron nodded, and escorted her up the stairs. An amused smile finally played upon his lips.

"Just out of curiosity, Haru. Do you realize that you're still wearing the wig?"


	27. An Unexpected Ally

Chapter Twenty Seven: An Unexpected Ally

Baron deflected Rowan's fist with ease, stepping behind him in order to rap him sharply with his cane.

"Not quite good enough, Sir Knight."

The dark human growled, and raised the stick he was practicing with.

Rosemary was sitting on the sidelines, with Muta right next to her. She scratched his brown ear softly, although her eyes were on her champion.

'_That wound's nearly healed completely. As soon as he can defeat Baron, we can go after Hatachi's heart. How on earth are we going to rescue that as well? Brimstone has surely made some more security measures around his castle, and he's never without his staff…'_

Toto flew in, and landed on her shoulder.

"The area's still clear, but the soldiers are getting closer to searching here."

She sighed, and nodded, her eyes still on Rowan as he wove between Baron's attacks, trying to find a weak point somewhere. Muta chuckled.

"Don't tell your boyfriend this, but he can't beat Baron. He's an immortal, and couldn't get exhausted even if he wanted to. Rowan'll only be able to take him down when Baron lets him."

Rosemary bit back a laugh, noting that her beloved was starting to wear down a bit. But the half-cat looked like this was just a regular stroll in the park. His mouth was set in a grim smile as he continually tested the knight's technique.

Three days later, Baron deemed the knight ready to resume his task, making sure to make things look like Rowan's victory was a genuine one.

Sweat beaded his brow, and he was panting heavily, but the smile was one of victory as he reclaimed his sword from Baron's fallen grasp.

"Hah! I knew you weren't invincible!"

The orange and cream cat smiled, masterfully keeping his laughter at bay.

"No one's invincible, Rowan. I believe your task is to prove that."

The dark knight nodded, happily rubbing the pommel of the sword against his cheek before turning to kneel low before his princess.

"With your permission, I wish to go and seek the seer's heart."

She smiled, and patted his head fondly.

"Of course you can. _After _you rest."

"After?!" he objected shortly before his beloved pressed two fingers to his lips.

"After," she said firmly, wrinkling her nose a bit. "A bath couldn't hurt either. There's a stream between those trees over there."

The dark youth sighed, and started walking towards the direction his sweetheart was pointing him to, shoulders slumped in defeat.

"Yes, Rosemary," he said in a sullen voice. Muta started laughing and coughing into one paw.

"Whipped! Whipped!"

"Oh stuff it, pig boy. You're just jealous that no girl would ever look at you like that!" Toto retorted.

"Take that back, you bird brain!"

"What, are you scared of the truth?!"

Baron sighed, following Rowan through the trees. A bath and rest was definitely in order before they tried to storm the castle again. How he wished he knew what Haru wanted him to do.

In anything.

ooOoo

Rowan slipped between the trees easily, his sword in one hand. Carefully, he looked around the trunk he was leaning against, in order to take a look at the front gate of Brimstone's castle.

There were fifty guards standing there alone, and the doors were shut tight. He growled softly, and locked eyes with Baron, who was a couple trees away.

"_Now what?_" he mouthed. The Cat Creation bit back a growl, wishing that Haru would hit him with inspiration again. He was more than certain that the idea of blinding everyone had come from his beloved brunette, and there was no way she would leave the story hanging at such a critical point.

'_Haru… if you can hear me, send me a sign that you're still around. Tell me what I need to do-'_

An explosion ripped the closed front gate off of the hinges, and landed over the fifty guards while the towers began to spew flame. Toto nearly fell out of his branch in shock.

"Just what the heck is going on in there?!"

"I think we're about to find out," Baron whispered, holding his cane ready. _'Thanks, Haru.'_

The whinny of a horse shrieked loud and clear, as a cloaked figure rode on top of the fallen gate and guards, almost deliberately so, maybe enjoying the groans that the squashed soldiers were giving. In one hand, he firmly gripped the reins of his dark horse, while the other cradled something wrapped in the corner of his cloak.

The cloaked horseman rode away, only a few guards able to pursue him. Rosemary, who had snuck up behind her beloved, gasped.

"Rowan! That man has Hatachi's heart!"

The dark knight growled under his breath.

"Toto!"

"Got it!" the crow said as he hopped from his perch, growing in size so that they could give chase. Finding that it was easier to allow Toto to choose his own size, Rosemary had granted him the ability to become as big or small as he wished. The humans and fat cat jumped on, and the large bird made pursuit.

The horse in question was going a bit faster than it should have been able to, all things considered. But as the distance between him and the castle increased, the cloaked man began to slow his speed down a bit, weaving between the trees of the forest. Toto was forced to fly higher and higher, praying that he wouldn't lose sight of the horseman as Rosemary began to hyperventilate.

"Haru had better have a good explanation for what happened just now," she whimpered, hating flight with a passion.

"She probably does," Baron soothed her, his green eyes still searching for their target.

There! A horse had approached a small clearing in the woods, almost framing a small lake. The rider dismounted, and patted the horse's neck fondly as it quenched its parched throat.

"Now?" Toto asked, bracing himself for a barrel-dive.

"Now, but nothing fancy," Rowan groaned, holding onto the dark feathers for dear life. "I'm still new at riding you."

"Oh, and I'm not?" his beloved countered as Toto swooped in. The rider apparently saw their reflection in the water, because he had straightened from taking a drink, and was now looking up at the charging giant with an amazing amount of serenity, like this was a preplanned picnic.

The crow circled once above the stranger's head, and made a safe landing about twenty feet away. Rowan immediately leaped off, partially for a dramatic effect and partially because he was glad to be on the ground again. He helped Rosemary down as Baron stepped off in a practiced fashion, and let Muta out of his arms. In a friendly manner, he tipped his hat at the dark stranger, who seemed to be staring straight at him, and ignoring everyone else.

"Good evening, Sir. Pray, what were you planning to do with the seer's heart?" the Cat Creation asked politely, gripping his cane just in case a fight was about to ensue.

The horseman wordlessly unwrapped the bundle from the corner of his cloak, and gently placed it on the soft ground before stepping away.

Rosemary bit back a cry, running for the tarnished jewel and bathing it in her tears.

"Oh Hatachi. Look what Brimstone did to your heart. He'll pay for _this_."

"The crystal needs to be purified from the sorcerer's influence," the cloaked man said, obviously trying to mask his voice. "This water, with the light of the full moon, should do the trick."

Baron's large and well-formed ears flicked, like he recognized the voice.

"We're all friends here. You don't need to keep your face covered," the tawny feline urged the dark figure, who sighed softly.

"Maybe not, but I'm worried as to how you'll react if you see it."

Muta started growling, marching up to the mysterious stranger.

"Stop being so melodramatic, kid! Rowan already played out the whole 'dark mysterious stranger' thing, so there's no need for overkill!"

The tall one looked down, and chuckled in an amused manner.

"My, she warned me you were grumpy, but-" he was cut off as Toto shrank down to a regular size and flew at the stranger's face. With fierce claws, he tore away the hood from the cloak, getting the man to stumble a bit.

When he looked up, Baron's jaw nearly hit the ground in astonishment, and Rosemary cried out in shock.

The young blonde man smiled a little nervously, and bowed politely.

"But it appears my secret's already out. I'm Aaron John Garrington, Baron's clone."


	28. Confrontations

Chapter Twenty Eight: Confrontations

Rowan stared at the young man, and at the half-cat that he so closely resembled.

"What's a clone?" the knight asked.

Baron didn't bother to answer. He stormed up to his teenage human self, and took two big fistfuls of the dark cloak.

"Start talking, young man," the Cat Creation said in a warning voice. Aaron sighed.

"To summarize what's happened, Brimstone made me with a few drops of your blood to distract Haru from finishing the story. I almost succeeded, but then fell at the finish line. And when I say 'fell', I mean I fell for Haru. She's a most amazing girl, wouldn't you say?"

Baron nodded warmly, his mind beginning to fill with images of the fetching brunette, but then cut short, remembering he wasn't here on his own business. He shook his head a bit in order to clear it.

"So, why did you take the heart from your master?"

Aaron's emerald gaze became as hard as ice.

"He made the mistake of making me an exact human copy of you, my devotion to Haru is stronger than to him, and she couldn't think of a way for your group to conceivably steal the heart back. So I volunteered to do it." He looked around Baron's shoulder to gesture to Rosemary. "You might want to step into the lake with the heart, Highness. When the full moon is precisely overhead, you need to submerge the gem into the water, and keep it there for a minute and a half. Haru's orders."

Rosemary nodded numbly, and started walking into the cool shallow waters. Rowan tried to stop her.

"He freely admitted to being Brimstone's creature. Are you sure he can be trusted?"

"Do we have a choice?" she asked her champion, keeping her eyes on the moon. Aaron sighed sadly.

"She's right. My ex-master is coming here, and time is of the essence."

Although he had more questions, Baron released him.

"Does he know what you have done?"

"Yes," Aaron said softly, his gaze going soft as he looked over his feline twin.

"He'll probably kill you for that."

"More than likely. But I refuse to watch Haru cry again."

"What do you mean?" Baron asked sternly as Rosemary solemnly bathed the gem underneath the glistening waves. Aaron sighed.

"I think it causes her physical pain not to work on the story. She was certainly looking better when she wrote me into the thing. Speaking of which, I think you should tell Haru the truth about your feelings."

Baron jerked uncomfortably.

"I can't do that. It'll only make matters worse-"

"Matters are already worse!" the boy all but shouted. "Baron, she freely admitted that if circumstances were just a little different, she'd have given me a chance. Her love for you was the only anchor she's had to cling to, and it's the only thing keeping her together right now. If she won't give _me_, your human counterpart a chance, who do you think she'll give it to?! Her heart's set on _you_, Baron! You have no idea how much it pains me, that she'll accept nothing less than the original Baron Humbert von Gikkingen."

"I can't give her a future!" Baron shouted right back at the blonde human. "I can't give her what she deserves!"

"She deserves to know that you love her. Isn't that enough?!"

"Can you two argue about this later?!" Rosemary begged, lifting the clear gem from the glistening waters. Where it had once been riddled with cancer-like black streaks, the heart was now a pure piece of crystal, as clear as glass.

"What next, Aaron?" Rowan called out, holding his sword ready as a wave of darkness began to close in like a tsunami. Growling a bit, the tawny human stepped away from his feline counterpart.

"Hold the sword up, and have Rosemary kiss the heart once before pressing it into the hilt. Hatachi is still conscious inside the gem, so he should do the rest."

A little startled, the princess did as directed, kissing the heart tenderly before pressing it into the hilt that her beloved held ready for her.

The gem seemed to melt against the sword like putty, and light began to flow through the weapon like blood. A figure of white light walked out of the sword, startling Rowan.

It was an old man, clean-shaven, and dressed in white. He looked at the princess lovingly.

"It's been a while, hasn't it, my girl?"

"Yes," she sobbed, reaching out to hug him. But her arms went through him, splashing his image around like a mist. He sighed sadly.

"I'm afraid I can't enjoy your embrace anymore, dear Rosemary. A writer has taken my place?"

"Well, yes. She's willing to finish what you started."

Hatachi sighed happily.

"At last. She had better have a happy ending in mind, after all this."

"She does," Aaron and Baron said in sync with each other, a little startled that they could read each other's thoughts. The original seer beamed warmly before turning to face the knight.

"It looks like we have a job to do then. Don't disappoint me, Rowan."

"Never, sir," the dark youth answered, feeling a strange awe at meeting his beloved's dear friend, whom he never thought he would meet. The old man smiled grimly.

"Then let's get to work." With that, the seer's image flooded back into the sword, making it pulsate like a heart.

Rosemary looked up, noticing that Brimstone was forming together at the edge of the clearing, his eyes burning with an eternal fire.

"_Traitor!_" he hissed angrily. Aaron chuckled.

"Are you speaking to me, or Rowan?"

The wizard snarled angrily, and threw a ball of purple fire at his creation, who dodged it with ease, as did his other half.

"Your fight's with me, you miserable monster!" Rowan shouted, holding his weapon ready. The magician growled, and brought both of his hands down to the ground, making the earth quake and split.

Expertly, the princess's champion began to swish his blade back and forth like a pendulum, miraculously mending the rip in the earth before it could swallow him and his companions.

With his heart aflame, the knight charged the wizard who had made him kill, burn, and destroy for nearly six years, when he had been so close to ending the struggle. Brimstone hissed again, and shot lightning at his opponent, who used the sword to throw the attacks off with ease.

Realizing that he had no choice but to fight, Brimstone created a blade of his own, as dark and twisted as his soul, for he had destroyed his heart several years before, in his hungry quest for power.

And the battle began once again.


	29. A Destiny Fulfilled

Chapter Twenty Nine: A Destiny Fulfilled

Baron watched wordlessly as the knight began to duel with his old enemy. Metal clashed back and forth, occasionally ripping into each other's clothing. Brimstone literally began to froth at the mouth like a mad dog.

"Submit to my will!" he roared angrily.

"In a pig's eye!" Rowan shouted back, taking a long slice at the sorcerer's middle. Strangely enough, although the wound had bitten deep into his flesh, there was no blood, but a thick black sludge that oozed sickeningly over the wizard's clothing.

"I think he just insulted you, Fats-"

"Not now, Toto," Baron said gratingly, wishing to keep his entire attention on the important battle. The crow on his shoulder sulked, but said nothing more.

Rowan didn't bother with fancy speeches this time, realizing that it had been what had opened the door for the last time he messed up. This time, he was all business, focusing only on making the wizard pay for all the suffering he had caused in his never-ending quest for power.

Dodge, sway, block, stab. It was a routine that the knight was all-too familiar with, thanks to his years of training under the king. Back then, he never would have believed that the fair princess would have noticed that he existed outside of his armor, but the day she had told him her feelings was without a doubt the best day of his life.

Although he would freely admit in the years to come that the defeat of Brimstone would be a close second.

The old lunatic was running low on energy, not used to fighting with his body instead of his magic. He had underlings for such tasks. He hissed like a snake, trying a stabbing attack. But he was becoming too weak for this-

Without warning, Rowan swiped his blade in a crooked manner, taking off both of Brimstone's hand with the sword still attached. The wizard howled from the pain, going to his knees and weeping tears of black sludge as it oozed out of his mouth in a disgusting manner.

"Please!" he begged. "Spare me!"

Rowan's eyes turned cold, as he raised his weapon for a final blow, making it glow and pulsate with Hatachi's life force, sparking spitefully at the old man.

"Maybe if you had shown mercy to others, I could have shown it to you." Without a further word, the dark knight slammed the point of the blade into where the wizard's heart had long been vacant. There was a strange hollow spot there, like the muscle tissue had been working around a big hole in his chest, so the sword went through the corrupt sorcerer with surprising ease.

Brimstone tried to ease his body away, falling on his back, and coughing up more black sludge as he struggled to breathe. Rowan put a stop to that, firmly twisting the blade around, to make a bigger hole.

Hatachi's heart pulsated with red anger, and shot a pure beam of energy down the sword, and into the sorcerer's body. He screamed with untold agony, as his skin began to crack. The seer's light penetrated every pore of his body, and tore it apart.

With a final shriek, Brimstone shattered like a cheap clay doll, even the shards dissolving into dust.

Far away at the castle of darkness, there was untold horror as all the demons bound to the sorcerer began clawing their own skins off with agony, also dissolving into nothing. Even the stones that made up the castle began to groan and break apart, sending the magician's palace tumbling down until it resembled a pile of broken stone. White dust arose from the dissolving stone, and then was carried away by the soft winds.

The earth itself seemed to sigh in relief, as the curse was lifted from the land, leaving only a bitter scent in the air that would fade with time, and a tired land that could begin healing.

Rowan collapsed to his knees, his sword still stuck in the ground. Disbelievingly, he touched the pommel of his sword to his forehead in a reverent manner.

"I did it," he whispered. "I finally killed him."

Familiar arms wrapped around him, and his princess embraced him warmly, turning his head so that she could kiss her champion.

"Yes. It is finished. Both of you did wonderfully," Rosemary said lovingly, tracing Hatachi's heart with one fingertip.

Baron sighed with relief, and gave the two a few moments as Toto and Muta took the belated fight to a couple feet away from the two groups.

"What's next, Aaron?"

The young man next to him started breathing again, knocking one fist against his chest.

"To be honest, I have no idea. Haru didn't tell me what her plans were after Brimstone was defeated. Mayhap we can convince Rosemary to…" he trailed off, looking beyond his feline counterpart, his glowing green eyes widening with shock as a soft gasp escaped his throat.

Wondering what could get underneath Aaron's skin at a time like now, the Cat Creation turned towards the small lake. He gasped as well.

Something new was in the water. It looked like a small ball of light, but it was beginning to morph into a strange shape, similar to a human. Baron held his cane ready, just in case it meant trouble.

But, as the light began to fade, and leave a body behind, the feline lord dropped his cane without hesitation, and charged out to the water, towards the floating body.

With all the care he knew how to give, he gently picked up the maiden, and cradled her close as he walked back to land.

Haru was unconscious, but that wasn't the only thing that had changed about her. For one, the flowing white dress was one he had never seen before, but couldn't help but admire on her. He also admired how she looked with long flowing hair as well, but he was as disturbed by it as he was attracted to it. She seemed so fragile right now, sleeping in his arms. While in slumber, she almost looked like a water nymph, so peaceful and calm.

Rosemary looked up from kissing her beloved and gasped.

"How did Haru get here?!"

"I don't know," Baron said softly, hugging her so tenderly before lying her down on the soft grass, and covering her with his jacket.

Suddenly remembering something, he looked up to see Aaron.

The poor boy looked like he was about to start crying, but he was putting up a fairly good face as Muta and Toto rushed up to take a look at the newcomer.

"It looks like my task is done. I hope you two will be happy together." With that, the young man began to walk away, his steps slow and labored, like he didn't really want to go.

Part of Baron wanted to let him go, but for Haru's happiness…

"Wait a moment, Aaron. You know I can't have a future with her. She should be with _you_, not me."

The boy gave a sad scoff.

"Too bad she's crazy about you, then. Believe me, nothing would please me more than to sweep her off her feet, but being a mortal isn't enough for her-"

"Hold it!" Rosemary shouted without warning, running up to the tawny youth, and grabbing him by the sleeve. Very forcefully, she pulled him up right next to his feline twin. She looked at the both of them very carefully, a wild smile appearing on her face.

"Let me get this straight, Aaron is the human version of Baron?"

Both men nodded.

"You both love Haru?"

They nodded again, feeling a trace of irritation.

"The problem with this is that there's two of us, and only one Haru," Baron sighed sadly. "She apparently wants me, but Aaron's the one that can truly be with her." How it hurt the feline lord to admit that.

The witch princess looked down at the comatose girl, who had literally given up her ordinary life to save this world. More clearly than ever, she remembered her own promise to give the Haru her heart's desire, in return for her services.

"I think I can fix that," Rosemary said mysteriously, rubbing her hands together excitedly like a little girl. _'Thank you, Fate!'_


	30. A Happy Ending

Chapter Thirty: A Happy Ending

_Haru sighed as she lay back on the soft grass, not bothering with a blanket, since her parents would be around shortly in order to pick her up. Hiromi, on the other hand, was bundled against the approaching night chill, lying on her back, and almost asleep. But it wasn't very often that Haru had time to stargaze, and she wasn't about to waste it by dozing._

"_Hey, Hiromi?"_

"_What?" the girl mumbled at her, waking up at her._

"_Do you ever wonder what we're doing down here, instead of up there?" She pointed up at the stars. The petite redhead groaned._

"_No, not really. Why, do you want to be an astronaut?"_

"_Nah. I mean, what are we supposed to do down here? Don't you want to leave a mark when you're gone?"_

"_Haru, it's a little late for such deep thoughts. Oh look, it's your dad."_

_The brunette sat up, seeing the headlights of the family car. She sighed, and stood up in order to pick up her camping equipment._

"_See you when school starts." _

_Her friend nodded, and trudged back into her house. Her dad parked the car, helped her load her stuff in the back, and then they headed home._

_On the way, Haru watched the stars from her window as the trees passed by._

'_I don't know about Hiromi, but __**I'd **__like to leave a mark that will last past my death.' She looked up at her father. "Daddy, what are we supposed to do when we're alive?"_

_The man shrugged, keeping his eyes on the road._

"_To leave this world a better place than we found it. Why do you ask?"_

_The girl shrugged, finding more peace with her father's answer than her best friend's._

"_Just curious."_

ooOoo

Haru groaned, feeling her head with one hand. A pounding headache had taken over her senses, but it was thankfully fading as she regained consciousness. She slipped her slim fingers through her scalp, a little surprised that the strands were as long as the wig, even though it was really her hair.

'_I knew it. Wear the wig too long, and it merges with your head. Oh well, at least it's a decent look on me. _The slim brunette sat up, a blanket falling into her lap.

She looked down… to see Baron's jacket. Someone yawned next to her. Haru looked over, and saw Aaron, fast asleep with Muta also snoring softly on his other side. But the tawny human was wearing Baron's clothes.

'_What? How on earth did he get here?' _She looked around, a little stunned as to where 'here' was. She was in a beautiful little clearing, which framed a small and beautiful lake.

It was exactly how she had envisioned the place that Brimstone would be defeated in.

'_But how did I get here? I'm pretty dang sure I didn't write myself into the book. Maybe Aaron has a clue as to what's going on.' _Sighing a bit, she reached over, and started massaging one of his shoulders. He began to move around in his sleep, murmuring contentedly.

"Come on, Aaron. I want to talk to you."

He opened his glorious green eyes, and looked straight into her soul.

"Yes?" he enquired, smiling softly at her. Haru stared, unable to believe it.

Although Aaron had been Baron's double, she had been able to spot out the differences between them almost immediately. The way Aaron looked at her had always been just a shade different then how Baron looked at her, and Aaron had a different smile as well.

But she had never seen that distinctly feline smile on those lips, even when he was teasing her. And his eyes… they seemed to suck her in, promising to never let go. They were eyes that _knew _her, heart and soul, in a way that Aaron hadn't quite known her.

But Baron did.

Shaking a bit, she leaned forward, and cupped that human face between her hands in order to examine it closer. Yes, she could still see some traces of Aaron in that face, but…

"Baron?" she whispered, wondering if she had gone mad. He grinned at her, and pulled her onto his lap, softly inhaling the scent of her hair.

"Correct on both accounts, actually. Feel free to call me whichever name you feel like. To be truthful, names don't matter that much to me."

Haru started hyperventilating.

"What happened?"

He started laughing at her.

"To me or to you?"

"Um, let's start with you and go from there."

He laughed at her again, and kissed her cheek tenderly.

"Well, since Baron was the one you wanted, and Aaron was the one that you could be with, Rosemary decided to kill two birds with one stone, and merge us together. It's quite lucky that we had the same DNA in our veins, and that our personalities were so similar, or she might not have been able to do it." He kissed her cheek again, but this time it was a bit closer to the mouth.

"And now that I don't have to worry about silly restrictions like species and life spans, I can find the courage to tell you that I love you, Haru. I love your sweet spirit, and your courage. You're one of the bravest people I have ever known, and it would be the greatest privilege of my life to keep loving you, if you'll accept me."

Haru's jaw dropped.

"_If?!_" she whispered before wrapping one arm around his neck, and dragging down his face to meet hers so that she could kiss the daylights out of him.

Not that he minded in the least. A familiar purr worked its way through his throat, making the love of his life giggle helplessly as Muta continued to snore.

A new future began to unfurl in Baron's mind. When Toto came back with Rosemary and Rowan, after they informed the survivors of Brimstone's death, he and Haru would join their numbers, and help to rebuild the once mighty kingdom of Malgea. The soon-to-be-queen had experimentally tried to reach the outside world after Haru had made her entrance, but now that the book was finished, the portal between the worlds was gone forever.

In their home world, people would continue their search for Haru, possibly for years until they gave her up for dead. Although he knew that this would cause his sweetheart pain, he also knew that she wouldn't regret her decision to renounce her former life for Malgea.

Especially since she was getting _him _out of the deal.

Suddenly, Haru remembered part of she had written before mysteriously falling asleep.

'_Those loyal to the princess and her beloved were rewarded with their hearts' desire, even if they didn't ask for it.' _She giggled, and hugged her beloved closer, realizing that it was she herself who had made it possible to be with the man she loved. And now that she _had _her heart's desire, she would never let him go.

'_Rosemary! I'm __**impressed**__!'_

ooOoo

In the Human Kingdom, there is a library. Within the library, there is a secret room that no living person knows about.

And within that room, there is a book, protected against the changes time usually bestows on paper, and protected forever from the outside world.

And on the last page of that book, are written these words:

_And so the wicked wizard was vanquished, and peace restored to the land. Those loyal to the princess and her beloved were rewarded with their hearts' desire, even if they didn't ask for it._

_The princess, who soon became Queen Rosemary, spent the rest of her days mending the damage that had been done to the land and her people, which were sadly few in number at the time. And although it would be several centuries before Malgea could reclaim its former glory, that time would always be remembered for the courage of the people, who refused to lose hope in worst of circumstances._

_For where there is hope, there will __**always**__ be a way._

ooOoo

Lots of love to; Lunarobi Pride, Bambi4ever, Thundercat, Archon Dragon, Chantal, Rebel of my Destiny, Ghost Wulf, NinjaoftheDarkness, kittydemon18, gacktxx, Nonimouse, Worldsno1actress, QuickStar, Lanari, Anonomous-Allstar-Fan, fallen-rose15, Drifting One, HyperMint, ShiroLight, catwizardofthesand, Grassina3, Poet on the Run, ArtsyChick, Singer-Number-1, EagleBlaze954, ChildofEden13, Bibishi Kuronecko787, Twilight Journey, EgyptLover4, fringeperson, lemntanimegrl, Sapphire-StarLight, kilala fae, Astracia, cuteknight101, sesshoumarufan18, and Rini's Ghost for the kind, loving, and frequently hilarious reviews. You guys are awesome.

And an extra bit of love to Rebel of my Destiny for giving me her idea. I sure hope that you're pleased about what I've done to it, and thanks for waiting so patiently for it.

Whew! I'm starting to get a little tired from all this! But thankfully not enough to stop. And going with tradition, here's the summary for my next story;

_Life can be really tough when you're a witch, green, and happen to be despised by everyone that even hears of you. _

There were a couple of people requesting that I write something like my next story, so I hope that it will be as warmly received as my other stories. Can anyone guess what it is?

Lots of love,

YC


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